


Shadow on the Wall

by Wolfslick6007



Series: DND/Fantasy AU [1]
Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Blood, DND/Fantasy AU, F/F, Henry’s horrible, I don’t really know what all to tag for this one, Shadow Anne Shadow Anne Shadow Anne, all Trigger Warnings are at the beginning of each chap., im not all knowing on DND, no matter what AU it is, past/mentioned rape and abuse, so work with me here—
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:07:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 75,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27193549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfslick6007/pseuds/Wolfslick6007
Summary: In a realm of magic, Anne Boleyn is cursed. She’s cursed to be a shadow.She’s accepted her fate, the fate that decreed that she’ll just be another shadow, completely unnoticed to those living.But before she lets it happen, she wants to stop Henry. Her husband who is the king well known for being a tyrant and his six ex-wives.The plan was simple, stop Henry from raising and using the shadow realm and it’s demons before quietly accepting her eternity in the shadows where she would be alone forever.But then the other five wives simply had to throw that plan out the window and give her false hope of freedom alongside Henry being stopped.But was it really false hope?
Relationships: Anne Boleyn/Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves/Jane Seymour, Katherine Howard/Catherine Parr
Series: DND/Fantasy AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033053
Comments: 140
Kudos: 160





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWs: Blood, throat being sliced, suicidal thoughts(???), mentioned/past abuse, mentioned/past rape, mentioned death
> 
> Those sound darker than I expected...
> 
> Catalina: Human, Paladin  
> Anne: Shadow-Elf, Rouge  
> Jane: Elf, Cleric  
> Anna: Human, Barbarian  
> Kat: Elf, Bard  
> Cathy: Human, Wizard

King Henry the Eighth had six wives.

That was a well known fact in the kingdom.

Catalina de Aragon, the human Paladin that fought wars and was revered by the kingdom. When she was divorced and was moved to a place of worship, she vanished and was deemed dead.

Anne Boleyn, the shadow-elf rouge that the majority of the kingdom hated. It was said that she died of sickness. The kingdom never really cared for the reason, they were simply happy she was gone.

Jane Seymour, the human cleric that healed wounds and gave Henry his male heir, earning the kingdom’s respect. The people mourned when she died in a carriage accident.

Anna of Cleves, the human barbarian that was divorced and deemed the king’s favorite sister. She lived and moved back to Holbein, the tribe turned town that she led.

Katherine Howard, the elf bard who was favored by the people for her kindness. She had multiple ‘affairs,’ and it was claimed that the final man she was with, Thomas Culpepper killed her, stating that if he couldn’t have her, then neither would the king.

Catherine Parr, a human wizard and the goddaughter to the late Catalina de Aragon was noted for her wisdom and outspoken nature. No one in the kingdom ever quiet knew what happened to her. It seemed she simply vanished in the night.

But that wasn’t all there was to their stories.

The kingdom wouldn’t know their true tales until much later. But what was known to the people that at some point during his rein, Henry had become a tyrant.

They didn’t know about his dealings with the shadow realm, the world of shadow creatures and demons.

That all started with a single spell. A curse, really.

A curse he used on one Anne Boleyn. For the shadow elf didn’t die to a sickness like Henry had them believe.

No, she was alive. But she was still a ghost.

She was turned into a shadow.

~~||~~||~~

Anne had been in her bedchambers when it happened.

She was in a green nightgown and almost ready for bed, her hair was still up in its signature hair buns and she still had on jewelry, such as the locket on a bracelet around her wrist (a picture of Elizabeth was inside that golden locket).

She hummed as she took off all the jewelry and was preparing to carefully take off the locket when she heard a presence behind her. She whipped around but relaxed upon seeing Henry.

“Bonjour, Mon amour.” Anne greeted with a fake grin. She didn’t love Henry. He screamed and yelled and on the extremely rare occasions, lashed out with his fists. But he could be worse, she supposed. She at the very least didn’t want to press him further.

(He got much worse only seconds from that thought.)

But Henry didn’t reply. There was a shadow to his eyes that immediately put Anne on the defensive.

“Henry, what are you—?”

Then, he slowly pulled out a scroll and a dagger. “Sorry, my love. But the kingdom desires a new queen. And so do I.”

Anne felt terror leap into her throat. How has this taken such a turn in so few seconds?! Was Henry really going to kill her?!

Anne always kept a dagger under her pillow. She used to be a rogue after all. She knew how to use it and she wasn’t afraid to. She moved to leap for it, but in the moment she had paused in shock and fear, Henry had already moved forward.

Anne didn’t feel the dagger slice across her throat, but she did feel her body hit the floor and the burning agony that followed.

Anne choked on the blood, her hands moving up to grip at the deadly wound. Why did Henry do this? Why was he killing her?!

Henry towered over her, staring down at her. Was that a look of pity on his face? Through her fading energy and the tears in her eyes, Anne couldn’t quite tell.

“I could let you die like this, my love.” He practically cooed, kneeling by her side. His hand trailed over her cheek and Anne coughed, her bloodied hands going slack against her throat. “But I’m a king of mercy. You’ll get to live, I simply needed your blood for the spell. And of course, you need to be still.”

That was when Anne blacked out.

She didn’t know how long she was unconscious for. But soon enough, her eyes were cracking open. The lights were the same as earlier, a simple lamp casting shadows throughout the room.

At first, she simply blinked, not remembering what happened. But then, she panicked, letting out a strangled gasp as her hands flew to her throat.

But she was alive.

Was it just a bad dream? And why did she feel so cold? Why couldn’t she feel herself, or anything for that matter?

She stuck her arm out to look herself over and let out a soundless scream. Her arm was entirely black. Not the light grey that her skin normally was.

No, her arm and all of her, was shadows. And they weren’t sticking out either, no they were going across the floor, just like a shadow would.

What did Henry do to her?!

Anne felt numb, not just in her body, but also in her mind. All she could do was curl up in the darkness, caught in a panic and breathing heavily.

What was happening? Why was she a shadow? Her thoughts were racing frantically.

Her panic didn’t calm at all, even much later when her breathing calmed.

It was only several hours later than Anne managed to finally move.

(During those hours, everything was a haze. She faintly heard her ladies in waiting enter the room and clean up the blood left on the floor. She didn’t— couldn’t hear anything after that.)

It was a struggle for her to move, getting used to moving this strange form and still caught in that panic feeling. But she had to check something.

Elizabeth. She needed to see Elizabeth.

Did Henry hurt her too? Was she safe?

Anne managed to make her way to the baby’s room. And to her relief, Elizabeth was sound asleep in her nursery.

She slowly edged over to her daughter, her breathing relaxing as she took in the sleeping, calm face. There was a calming effect to Anne as she watched the girl.

Carefully, ever so carefully, she moved her shadowy fingers towards Elizabeth. Her baby girl continued to sleep peacefully.

Anne’s eyes widened with panic as her fingers touched Elizabeth. Only to fade along her cheek, just like a shadow would. The queen couldn’t feel her at all.

Nononono!

This couldn’t be happening! What did Henry do to her?! He called this a mercy? What kind of mercy was this?!

That night, all Anne could do was cry in the cold, too cold shadows. She sobbed at her precious daughter’s bedside, cursing Henry as she realized exactly what fate had fallen upon her.

Over the years trapped on the castle wall, Anne always looked after Elizabeth.

She kept an eye on her darling girl. She would let the girl catch a glimpse of her. She would play with Elizabeth as much as she could being a shadow. She would carefully, with the tiny amount of power she had, nudge a color when Elizabeth was coloring, signifying which one she thought the girl should use.

(Henry always got angry when Elizabeth brought up the shadow, claiming that the young girl simply had an imaginary friend when she should be focusing on her studies. Eventually, Elizabeth simply stopped bringing it up.)

And for Catalina, to make up for what she did to the first queen— the real queen, Anne always looked after Mary too. She didn’t let the girl see her like she did Elizabeth, but Anne kept an eye on her just the same.

(She never knew that Mary had caught sight of her several times. The girl simply kept it to herself. But in the future, after the Kingdom was saved, Mary told Catalina and both mother and daughter thanked the elf.)

And if the same happened with Edward… then who could blame her? It wasn’t like Anne could do anything else with her free time. The boy’s mother, who never noticed Anne (just like everyone else), has died in a carriage accident. An accident where the carriage went straight over the cliff.

Looking after their children as best she could? It was the least Anne could do for the fallen queens.

~~||~~||~~

But while she looked after the children, Anne was also doing something else.

After Henry used the spell on her, he started to look deeper into shadow magic. Evil, cursed shadow magic. The kind of spells Anne was told to stay away from unless absolutely necessary for that reason alone.

It was addicting.

And Henry has fallen into its trap. Now, he was working with and controlling the shadow realm. The realm of demons and the evil creatures of shadows.

A place Anne had only heard tales of until she saw Henry trying to summon creatures from there with his own eyes. He was addicted to the power. And now, he was going to create fear with it. Control his kingdom with even more of an iron fist than before.

But Henry needed a sacrifice for it. He needed to sacrifice either many innocents, or one strong magic user. If he completed that, the strongest demons claimed that they would give him their power.

He would become king of the shadow realm just like he was king of reality. The kingdom would be in ruin by the end of it.

Which is why Anne began to try and put a stop to it.

Anne couldn’t do much. She was a shadow after all. Absolutely no one took note of her. No one knew she existed anymore.

But then, Anna of Cleves appeared.

A human leader of a tribe, the Holbein tribe, that has become well established and well respected as its own recently founded town. Anna was betrothed to Henry under the guise of a peace treaty.

And Henry was already planning on divorcing her and simply sending her back to Holbein. She didn’t know anything incriminating after all, and Henry thought of her to be too ugly for him.

But Anne noticed that Anna had ulterior motives.

She was looking for something. And it quickly became clear what. She was trying to figure out what Henry was doing.

What got her so interested in it, Anne didn’t know.

But what she did know? Jane died because she knew too much. Anne had overheard Henry talking with the drivers of the carriage that tipped over the fateful cliff.

Jane didn’t know much at all. Nothing substantial. But it was enough for her to be wary, and enough for Henry to have her killed.

(He already yelled and verbally abused the woman, Anne shouldn’t have been surprised that Henry wouldn’t hesitate to go so far. After all, look what happened to herself.)

Anne didn’t want to see that happen again. She wanted to see Anna come out alive (she found the woman’s mannerisms rather funny, and the way she looked after the young lady in waiting, Katherine Howard, was sweet. Anne tried not to listen in on them too much, she may be a shadow, but she still respects privacy, unless it was related to Anne herself or Henry and his schemes.) and she wanted to see Henry stopped.

So she led Anna to Henry’s plans. She led the red dressed queen to Henry’s studies on the shadow realm and its shadows. Anne stood guard outside while Anna was in the room and managed to get her out when Henry came toward the office. Anna never saw her during any of it.

Fortunately, Anna didn’t remain much longer after that. Henry finally got his divorce and she moved back to lead Holbein.

And Katherine Howard, an elvish bard and Anna’s favorite lady in waiting, took her place as queen.

Anne was furious upon learning exactly how young the new queen was, especially for an elf. She knew Henry was a monster, his deals with demons proved it. But was he really so much of a monster to marry and practically rape such a young woman, only just out of teenage years?

Apparently, he was. And Anne was sickened by it.

But Anne quickly found herself growing attached to the new queen, even if Kat had never seen her. (And her surname sounded so familiar, but Anne couldn’t put her finger on it…) Kat was such a delight in the castle, cheering up those around her. She made time for Elizabeth and Edmund, and was even civil with Mary, who wasn’t her biggest fan.

And Anne appreciated the change in mood. The castle had been getting gloomier and gloomier.

But like everything else, good times didn’t last.

Henry was practically on the brink of insanity. The shadow realm’s influence over him was growing stronger. It was scary because of just how well he hid it. It wasn’t your loud, screaming type of insane (he only screamed at those he abused in private), it was the quiet, calculating sort.

So when Culpepper raped Kat, Henry flew into a rage.

Luckily, Anne had been present and heard of his plans. Simply stab her and frame it as Culpepper. Two birds with one stone.

It was right then that Anne decided she had to get Kat out. She would hate herself forever (more so than she already did) if she let Kat die without trying to do something.

~~||~~||~~

Kat had been playing the flute she used for her magic when it began.

She was trying to calm herself from another panic attack, having remembered Mannox and Dereham and dreading Henry and Culpepper. Playing her flute always had a way of calming her.

(Mannox already tarnished the lute for her, she wouldn’t let him ruin any more music for her. She adored her flute and the music and magic it could summon.)

She was finally calm and playing a gentle lullaby when the shadow appeared.

It moved between the bottom crack of the door and was on the wall when Kat noticed it. The silhouette of a person with white circles for eyes and a white curve for the lips.

Kat let out a shriek of fear and pressed herself back into the corner of the window seat she had been sitting in. She raised the flute to her mouth, prepared to use her magic.

Anne froze and swiftly raised her hands in a friendly gesture, staying where she was.

Kat’s magic might have an effect, or it might not. But either way, that would alert the castle and throw all of Anne’s plans out the window.

Both of them stared at each other, wide eyed for several beats. And then, Kat cautiously took note of how the shadow in front of her was trying to seem friendly.

“Are you here to hurt me?” She asked. Anne shook her head no, understanding that the question was a valid one.

Kat huffed, staring at the shadow before her voice became sarcastic. “Sorry if I don’t believe that, but I’ve never seen anything like you.”

Again, understandable. Anne nodded her head to that, still not moving from where she was against the far wall.

So they stayed that way for a few minutes, gauging each other and Kat still keeping a tight grip on her flute.

But then...

“Sorry for screaming…” Kat apologized, her sarcastic tone fading away. She remained in her defensive position but slowly pulled the flute away from her mouth. “It’s just… what are you?”

Anne laughed bitterly at that, the noise not exiting her lips. She shrugged as well. It wasn’t like she knew. Anne figured at this point she was just another shadow on the wall.

Anne carefully moved across the floor until she was next to Kat. The elf allowed it, but kept her gaze firmly on Anne.

They couldn’t waste anymore time. Anne used her power to give several urgent tugs to Kat’s dress sleeve, backing towards the door slightly.

“You want me to go somewhere?” Kat asked Anne, brows furrowed in confusion and distrust.

Anne nodded. If only she could talk…

No! There was no time for those thoughts! She needed to get Kat out of here!

“How do I know I can trust you?”

Anne shook her head and the message was clear to the both of them.

You can’t.

Kat bit her lip. She didn’t know what this shadow was trying to show her. But something in her gut was telling her she needed to follow.

So she did.

They made their way through the castle’s halls, Anne making a point to get Kat to hide whenever anyone came near. Kat was confused, but she knew the shadow had its reasons.

Eventually, they were in a particularly shaded hallway, the lights dimmed. They were walking down it when they heard a voice behind them.

“Katherine!”

Both of them froze. Kat felt dread as she turned to see Henry and several guards. But why was she so scared? (She knew the answer. Henry raped her. Screamed and raged at her. He wasn’t a loving husband.)

Anne felt terror swell inside her. This wasn’t supposed to happen! How did Henry find them?!

Henry spotted Anne and his face dropped from a fake smile into a scowl. “I see you’ve made a little friend…”

Kat was quickly trying to buy time, for what she didn’t know, and she definitely couldn’t stop the curiosity. “You know the shadow?”

Henry snorted. “Sadly... I was hoping she would stay out of my business. But it seems she has to disappoint me.”

Anne bristled at that. Disappoint him?! She was happy to have done so!

“Business?” Kat’s eyes narrowed with fear and anger. “Do you know why she was trying to lead me somewhere?”

Henry sighed, pulling a dagger from his belt and making a gesture to his guards. “I was hoping this would be swift and painless, Katherine... Kill her.”

Kat’s eyes widened with panic as the five guards surged forward. But Henry and the guards underestimated her strength as a bard.

She was swiftly pulling her flute to her lips and playing a fast paced melody.

The magic in Kat’s music caused a burst of flames to send two guards falling backwards with yelps. Thank the gods she had been learning more offensive spells in secret!

As she put another guard into a deep sleep, Henry came rushing forward, dagger in hand.

She swiftly moved to play another tune. She didn’t know what spell it would cast, she just knew she needed to cast something!

But that was the exact second the dagger in Henry’s hand lashed out, catching Kat across the throat.

Anne’s mouth opened and she let out a soundless scream. For a moment, she felt a pain, a feeling she hadn’t felt in forever, stab at her own throat. She could see herself, her own throat cut open by Henry’s wicked hand.

Kat’s breath gargled as she stumbled back, a large gash across her neck already beginning to drip the crimson liquid.

Anne lunged forward as Henry pulled the dagger back, this time to stab. What happened next even Anne didn’t expect or understand.

She managed to grab the pink queen. She managed to interact with her. Her fingers weren’t simply shadows across the elf’s skin, she was actually touching Kat.

And then, Anne managed to pull Kat into the shadows with her. Anne’s shock sent her into autopilot, and she was swiftly bundling the woman in her arms and rushing down the hall as a shadow on the floor.

The guards were trying to pursue but quickly lost them. Henry let out a roar of rage as Kat vanished, literally pulled into the shadows with Anne. “I should have killed you long ago!” He bellowed behind them.

(Later, he would finally manage to track down and corner Anne in a dark, abandoned corner of the castle that Anne always hid away in. There were many threats launched her way as Henry ranted and raved. Anne wasn’t bothered by them. There was nothing worse he could do to her. Let him find a way to kill her off. It would be a mercy.

And sometimes, Anne couldn’t stop the corner of her mind that wished Henry let her die to her own fatal neck wound so long ago.)

Anne couldn’t do this for long. Honestly, she didn’t even know she could do that before now! So she quickly moved through the halls, out of sight of the rushing guards.

Eventually, they made it to a tunnel under the castle. It was a secret path made for the royal family to escape through if there ever was a siege.

Anne felt Kat shudder and cough in her grip. A neck wound like that was almost entirely fatal. She should know. Anne felt her panic swell further at that thought.

Kat needed attention immediately. She needed it now. There was no time. And Anne didn’t know if there was anyone even friendly around that could give her that medical attention.

Dammit!

Was Kat going to die here? Was Anne going to watch a woman already burned by the world turn to ash? Was Anne going to have someone’s blood on her hands?!

… Was Anne going to see how she herself could have died?

Then, Anne heard a voice.

“The castle is on high alert, we need to leave—!”

Anne gasped upon seeing a familiar face among the trio before her. She let go of Kat, her magic having reached its limit at the exact same time. Kat stumbled out of the shadow in front of them, collapsing as she coughed and whined in pain, hands flying to her throat.

Weapons were pointed at Kat and the young queen fell back with a startled and fearful yell. Her voice was distorted by the blood running out of her throat.

Immediately, the weapons paused. It was three ‘ghosts.’

Catalina de Aragon, the human Paladin and first queen, stood tall and surprised in her golden and black armor. A golden sword lowered itself from Kat.

Jane Seymour was wide eyed and slowly sheathing a rapier. The elf cleric was clearly stunned to see Kat.

Anna of Cleves, the human barbarian, was sheathing her axe immediately upon recognizing Kat and sweeping her off the floor and into a hug.

Kat tensed at the sudden contact but soon relaxed against the metal and leather armor her friend was wearing.

“Kätzchen! What are you doing out here?!” Anna asked urgently. Then, horror dawned in her vision as she noticed Kat’s neck. A curse flew from her lips. “Oh gods, your neck!”

Then, Kat remembered everything that happened. She began trembling and hugged Anna just a little tighter.

“Tried… kill…” Kat’s voice came out as a rasped whisper. Her energy was fading fast, the blood pooling down the front of her dress a dizzying sight.

“Let me see, love.” Jane was speaking quickly upon hearing this. The cleric knelt by Kat, who was still wrapped in Anna’s arms. She surveyed the wound with swift urgency before clasping her hands and murmuring a spell.

There was a glow and the wound sealed itself shut. But a scar and the blood was left behind. Kat didn’t seem to care, taking a relieved breath and letting her body untense fully against Anna. Jane then began talking about how they needed to look at it better somewhere safer.

For Anne, between making sure Kat was in safe hands, she began staring in shock. She knew Anna was there when she heard the former queen’s voice, as well as her two companions. But she never expected the fallen queens.

They were alive? Alive and well and walking?

Then her shock turned into anger.

Why did they get to be free and alive when Anne was stuck in shadows?! Why did they get to exist when she didn’t?!

(Later, she would realize just how stupid that thought process was. Just like how she didn’t choose this curse, they didn’t choose to almost die. They didn’t choose for Henry to betray them. But the stinging pain of that thought didn’t stop until much later than that, when Anne got to know the women personally.)

Anne spun on her heel and vanished back into the castle and it’s shadows. She knew what she needed to know. Kat was safe and alive. Anne couldn't leave with them anyways.

And besides? How could they free her?

No, they would work on their part to stopping Henry. And while they did physical tasks, Anne would wait in the castle, watching. She would help future queens (because it was achingly obvious Henry wasn’t going to stop) and put a stop to Henry in her own way.

Anne heard a faint, “It was right there…” from Kat, but she didn’t go back. She couldn’t look them in the eye right now.

Human interaction is overrated anyways.

~~||~~||~~

Or, that’s what Anne thought.

And then Catherine Parr, Henry’s sixth and newest wife, threw that plan out the window.

Catherine was a pleasant woman, mothering Henry’s kids and making sure they were safe. She wasn’t much older than Kat, yet she had a maternal instinct that made Anne chuckle. The blue queen seemed especially close with Elizabeth.

This time, Henry had actively tried to take measures to prevent her from finding out his plans after Kat’s escape. But Anne was clever. She had been staying out of sight for a long time, and her skills as a rogue were still ingrained in her brain, if a bit rusty.

Which is how she managed to follow him into a secret room. A room hiding the body of Thomas Seymour and written plans to kill Cathy.

Henry needed a very powerful magic user for a sacrifice. It couldn’t be an average magic user like so many others, they had to be talented and filled with magic energy.

It happened that Cathy fit that bill.

So Henry, in his lust for power, concocted a plan to kill Cathy. Anne couldn’t exactly recall what Thomas had to do with his plan, but the sight of his corpse was unsettling.

And as much as Anne hated to do it, she needed to show Cathy. There was no other way for her to tell the woman.

Anne went to Cathy several days before Henry’s plan was to be put in action. She learned the hard way that she couldn’t wait until the last minute. (Kat’s throat being sliced was still a terrifying memory that Anne couldn’t shake)

Upon showing herself, the reaction wasn’t entirely what Anne expected. Instead of screaming and running away, Cathy simply stared at her for a moment.

Faintly, Anne wondered if it was because the wizard dealt with magic.

“Hello there…” Cathy had said. While she didn’t show fear, she was still clearly nervous, standing from her desk and backing away from Anne slightly.

Anne gave her a small wave instead, plastering on a smile. She tried to make herself seem as unthreatening as possible, she couldn’t do anything if Cathy was scared of her.

It was several minutes of tense questions, and barely visible nods and shakes of the shadow’s head that Anne finally led Cathy through the castle. They passed a few servants and guards, but where the hidden room was, there was luckily no one present.

Anne pointed at the door and Cathy’s brows furrowed in confusion. “In here?” The wizard asked cautiously.

Anne steeled herself for Cathy’s reaction and slowly nodded.

Cathy carefully edged open the door.

Thankfully, or not so thankfully, everything was still there. Including Thomas’s body, which was beginning to decay much to Anne’s disgust, even if she couldn’t smell the rot. The plans of Cathy’s murder were still on the table as well.

Cathy froze, absolute horror coming to rest on her face. A hand rose to her face to muffle a scream as she took a step backwards.

Slowly, Anne edged her way over to stand next to Cathy. With that little bit of power she had, she gave a small tug to Cathy’s sleeve.

The wizard turned to her, her breathing fast and shallow with panic and terror. The shadow looked back at her, letting Cathy focus on her white eyes and frown.

It took several minutes for Cathy to calm, and even then, she was still in shock and fear. Tears were on her cheeks that she shakily tried to wipe away.

(She would cry again that night as she thought back to all of the dreams they had planned. Henry ruined them by marriage. And now he ruined them by death.)

Cathy knew Henry wasn't a good man… but this… this was the work of a monster.

“Why…” Cathy’s voice was choked and she finally closed the door behind them, stepping fully into the room. “Why did you show me this?”

Anne was quickly crossing the room, her shadow sliding across the floor and appearing on the wall behind a table with papers. She gestured to the table, hoping Cathy could stand to be in this room a few minutes longer.

The woman stepped over, her gaze not moving from Thomas until she reached the desk. She picked up the papers Anne gestured to and began to look them over.

Slowly, Cathy processed exactly what she was reading. She was processing the plans for her murder.

Her gaze flicked back to Anne. She was pale. “Are you trying to save me?”

Anne perked up, nodding her head.

Cathy took a deep breath. She glanced over the papers one last time and gave a sickly look to Thomas’ corpse. Then, she looked back to Anne, her face sealed with determination.

“Help me get out of here.”

Anne couldn’t stop the relieved grin at that response.

Over the next few days before Henry’s plan, they made their own. Anne and Cathy made preparations, sneaking around the castle and Cathy making her appearances. They couldn’t be suspicious.

They learned more about each other in that time. It was rather like a game of charades when it came to Anne. But they managed to do it, and Cathy learned a little more about Anne (one of those things was definitely not her name).

It was the day before Henry’s murder plot that they put their own into action. They stood in Cathy’s room, Anne watching as Cathy made final preparations and check overs. It was the dark of night, perfect time for escaping.

Gone was Cathy’s dress, traded for traveling gear and robes. She had pouches and small bags for items such as spell books and food. All of them were already filled with necessities. The wizard also held a wooden, knotted staff in hand.

“Are you ready to go?” Cathy asked, looking to Anne.

Anne blinked. Didn’t she manage to tell Cathy that she couldn’t leave the castle? So why was she saying it like the both of them were leaving?

Cathy noticed the confused look. “While we prepared… I looked through every spell book I could. You warned me and have been working hard to save me. You don’t deserve to be stuck here as a shadow for eternity. So I found a spell.” Cathy pulled out the spell book it belonged to and shifted through the pages until she found it. “It will attach you to me. Until we can find a cure for this, you’ll be my shadow. You’ll be able to leave the castle! We can find a way to free you!”

Anne stared at Cathy, her expression switching into pure surprise.

Cathy had really spent time looking for a way to bring her along?

“I couldn’t just leave you here. Do you… want to go?” Cathy asked almost nervously.

Anne paused for only a moment before nodding quickly. She didn’t think she could stand being here any longer without going insane… Anne knew the only problem she had with leaving was the children. But maybe… they would be safe.

Cathy smiled at her. “Then I suggest we do the spell now. It would waste time if we did it right before exiting the castle.”

It was minutes later that Cathy crept from her chambers, her newly sentient shadow following, or being pulled, along.

It would take a while for Anne to get used to, that was for sure. And it even seemed to drain her of some powers for a little bit. (That gave Anne a bit of fear. What if Henry showed up and she couldn’t do anything this time?) But Anne was just grateful to have a way out.

She owed a lot to Cathy. Anne knew that much for certain.

They made their way through the castle halls, dodging people and keeping a wary eye out. But soon, they reached the final passageway without incident.

Anne thanked every single god in the realm that Henry hadn’t found them like last time.

They moved through the passage and found themselves outside the castle grounds, the city streets stretching in front of them.

Cathy was quickly looking around for a place to go when they heard a horse. Both of them froze, unable to turn back or find a place to hide.

Not again! Anne found herself panicking. She couldn’t get Cathy out like she did Kat. She didn’t even know how she managed that last time!

But it wasn’t Henry. And it wasn’t a guard either.

It was Anna of Cleves.

The barbarian looked the same as ever, battle axe on her back, black gloves on her hands, and in red and silver armor. The only new appearance Anne could spot was a ring on a necklace around Anna’s neck.

Anna grinned at Cathy from atop her steed. “Need a lift, my queen?”

Cathy perked up. She’s had the pleasure of meeting Anna before. “Yes, please! What are you doing here?”

Anna was quickly pulling Cathy up onto the horse, letting her sit behind her. “We got a tip from a servant that Henry was up to something. After what happened to Kat and the plans I found during my marriage… we had a pretty good idea what it was.”

“Plans? Kat as in Katherine Howard? What is going on?!” Cathy thought she had seen everything crazy when Anne appeared to her. But it suddenly felt like things got much more complicated.

“We have to go, now.” Anna said, her horse beginning to trot before turning into a sprint. “I’ll explain everything later if you explain exactly how you knew to leave!”

“Deal!”

~~||~~||~~

They reached Holbein within the span of a few days.

The place was nice, if a bit small. People of all sorts of species seemed to wander. Fauns, elves, humans, halflings. Anne even swore she spotted two Dragonborn!

“This place is amazing…” Cathy whispered, taking in the peaceful atmosphere as they walked through the market.

Anna laughed, giving a wave to a friendly merchant. “I’m glad you think so! We’re rather small, but it’s home. We built this town, and it’s flourishing. Maybe one day, Holbein will be a city itself.”

Cathy didn’t mention Anne for the time being. It was fair enough, the shadow supposed. Cathy didn’t know how Anna would react. So Anne kept her head down for the time being, simply keeping watch for any danger.

Eventually, they reached what seemed to be a sort of town hall. It was in the center of Holbein and built to hold many people, Anne figured for meetings and also storing important records. Sure enough, people wandered around, charting trade and performing other important duties.

The room they were led to was a room designed for meetings. A round table with three people sitting there. Three very familiar people.

Anna had rounded the table to meet up with Jane, who looked the same as when Anne saw her helping Kat. They locked into a kiss and Anne’s interest was piqued when she noticed a ring on Jane’s finger, similar to the one on Anna’s necklace.

Catalina was just as intimidating as ever. Her golden and black armor had been recently cleaned and her sword was on the table, having been in the middle of being sharpened. The golden paladin’s gaze noticeably softened upon spotting Cathy.

Kat now wore a choker over the spot where Anne knew that scar from the night of her escape was. A ‘K’ made out of rich jewelry dangled from it, made by a professional hand. She wore pink clothing that was made for traveling but also flashy enough for a performance. The elven bard was fiddling with a flute in her hands.

“Hello, Mija.” Catalina greeted with a fond smile, looking at Cathy. “It’s been a long time.”

“Madrina…” Cathy’s voice was a whisper. “They told me you were dead.”

“I’m not, Mija.” Catalina said, standing and making her way over to Cathy. “Those were all rumors and lies. I’m right here, well and alive.”

There was a respectful silence as Cathy and Catalina hugged each other close. They stayed that way for a long moment before they parted and Catalina gently led Cathy over to sit in one of the chairs.

“We’ll have to catch up later, Mija.” The Paladin told her, moving back to her own seat right next to Cathy. “But right now… there’s some business we need to attend to.”

“We want to know how you escaped. Did you know of Henry’s plot?” Anna asked, leaning forward in her chair next to Jane.

“If you would like, we can tell our side first?” Jane offered after a pause.

Despite what they agreed during the escape, Anna said that she had some friends who would like to hear Cathy’s tale as well. And they would be there to help Anna explain hers. So they waited.

These were those friends.

They all looked at Cathy, waiting for a response.

Cathy bit her lip, glancing down to Anne. She was asking for approval to tell. And Anne had nothing to hide. The shadow gave her a nod that Cathy managed to make out.

It was now or never.

“I had assistance.” Cathy cleared her throat, sitting taller. “She isn’t the most conventional assistance, but she helped me, and I want to make that clear before I reveal her.”

Catalina’s brows furrowed and she looked concerned. “Reveal her? Is this assistance of yours dangerous?”

Cathy glanced down to her shadow, Anne stared back, waiting. “No. But she is a shadow.”

Everyone watched as Cathy stood and backed to the wall, allowing Anne to travel up it until she was peeking over Cathy’s shoulders. She gave everyone a wave.

Three of the four former queens were gaping. But the last one let out a gasp of shock and delight.

“It’s you!” Kat’s face filled with joy and she was quickly by Cathy’s side, startling the wizard. The elf beamed at Anne. “You’re the shadow that saved me!”

Anne blinked back, also surprised before grinning and nodding.

She was happy to see Kat doing well and even seeming to be happier than she had been back in court. After all, the last time she had seen her, Kat had just been healed from a fatal hit.

“She saved you, too?” Cathy perked up, looking to Kat.

“Yeah! Henry tried to kill me but it— she helped me escape!” Kat explained simply. She then looked back to Anne. “I never got to thank you… so thank you for saving me!”

Anne gave her a grin, but couldn’t hold back a thought. Why was Kat thanking her? Kat’s throat was slit! Shouldn’t she hate Anne for that?

Before anyone else could say a word, Catalina redirected the conversation. “Perhaps we should start the meeting properly? There’s much we need to talk about… the shadow included.”

And that’s what they did.

Cathy told of the shadow appearing to her. Her voice wavered slightly when talking about the hidden room and Thomas, but she told them all that she could, including her plans to find a way to free Anne.

The others told Cathy their side. About how Catalina ran away from the place of worship Henry put her in and found the nomadic tribe of Holbein that was becoming a town, led by their brand new leader, Anna. How Anna found Jane miraculously alive in the wrecks of a carriage at the bottom of a cliff. Jane had told them what she knew of Henry’s plans and the trio knew they had needed to learn more.

Which is why Anna was married to the king. She found out more information and Henry didn’t know, simply divorcing her and sending her back to Holbein. Then how they were going back to scout the castle when they found the grievously injured Kat, who had been rescued by Anne. And now, how they had gotten a tip that Henry was plotting to kill Cathy as well.

They also told her of what Henry required to unlock the shadow realm. Many innocents, or one powerful magic user. And of course, his reasons for murdering Cathy suddenly clicked.

Their meeting lasted a while longer before they ended. It was well into the night and Catalina showed Cathy to her room before telling her that someone would come get her for breakfast.

Yes, Cathy and Anne were there under bad circumstances. But both could agree that they already liked Holbein and the other queens.

They remained in Holbein for a few weeks. In that time, Anne learned more about the other queens.

Catalina was a big softy and quickly reconnected with Cathy, being rather protective of the wizard, other queens, and even Anne. Jane and Anna were in fact newlyweds, having been married a week or two before Anna came to pick Cathy up. Kat was a very strong woman, and had a very strong sense of sarcasm when she wasn’t being the nicest person besides Jane. Cathy could spend a lot of time in a library (the last one Anne learned the hard way) if she had enough books.

Anne also learned Cathy wasn’t very good at riding a horse at first. Which was very amusing. When Cathy fell off her horse, she had looked down to see a laughing shadow, making Cathy pout (she would forever deny it) and argue with Anne, the shadow making faces and still laughing all the while.

Anna had gotten in on the fun too, teasing Cathy before breaking it up and helping Cathy learn how to ride the horse properly.

The queens were rather strange. They weren't scared of Anne at all. They even seemed eager to get to know her.

And Anne couldn’t wrap her head around it.

The few times someone in the castle’s staff saw her, they always freaked out. They would run screaming about a ghost or an intruder. Those servants were punished for the false alarm by beatings. Anne didn’t let anyone outside the queens and Elizabeth see her after that.

So why were they all so friendly? Any conversation with her was practically one sided! And yet, every time the queens were around Cathy, and by extension, Anne, they always made sure to include her. They even greeted her and bid her good night, Cathy especially.

Anne almost cried at the realization that she was being seen. But of course, she couldn’t cry. She couldn’t do anything anymore.

So she shielded herself behind the movement signifying laughter and smiles when the others looked to her (actually looked to her!) and only at night, would she allow that Cheshire grin to fall.

But besides the despair, Holbein was fun! It was the most fun Anne had been able to have in a long time. She got to spend time with Cathy and the other queens, watching them train and explore the town.

Maybe human interaction wasn’t overrated...

But of course… It was only a matter of time before Henry found them. And he did.

Demons, summoned by Henry himself, arrived in Holbein and began to destroy the town. The queens got out every civilian they could and directed them to the nearest village for safety.

(It didn’t stop the number of deaths that haunted them for a long time after the attack.)

The queens didn’t go with them. They had something else they needed to do. It was time to stop Henry. So they set a course to a different town, beginning to search for ways to stop the tyrant king before he could summon the shadow realm.

That was the moment the journey truly began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *loud banging noises* *door slams open* I MEANT TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF MEMENTO MORI BUT MY BRAIN WOULDN’T SHUT UP ABOUT THIS IDEA—!
> 
> This was originally supposed to be two chapters, but then it crossed 15,000 words... yeah, I know! So it’s now three chapters because I split the first.
> 
> Considering how long this would be if I was to extend it out and focus on everything else in the AU, I’m not very surprised by the word count. I will admit that I wrote most of it, saw that it was already up to 10k and died a little inside, lol. I like writing, but 10k definitely caught me off guard! It’s Comfort Clothes all over again, haha!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe they’ll free her after all...
> 
> But Anne doesn’t want to let herself be hurt by that hope if it falls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWs: suicidal thoughts(???), mentioned/past rape and abuse, panic attack, racism

The journey was a difficult one.

And they had barely even started. Demons sent by Henry, who knew they weren’t dead, were vicious. Thieves and regular monsters all decided they were perfect targets.

But they always managed to win. Catalina and Anna, Paladin and barbarian, were their heavy hitters. Kat and Jane, bard and cleric, were usually their supports, but between Kat’s flute and Jane’s rapier, they were good fighters too. And Cathy was versatile, the wizard wielding a wide arsenal of different spells and magics.

And Anne was the guard. She always kept an eye open, being unable to sleep meant she could take all night shifts along with all day. If any danger went unnoticed by the others, it was almost always noticed by Anne.

Their journey stretched from town to town, where they spent a few nights in an inn, usually helping civilians being terrorized by something or solving some sort of problem in general.

Between the fighting, solving, and camping under the stars and sharing rooms in an inn, Anne figured they had all gotten rather close.

While Anne got to know the queens back in Holbein, it seemed that she was able to see even more of them on this journey.

Catalina was scared to be weak. If she got hurt in battle, had a nightmare, or just felt bad, she would always try to hide it. Somehow, everyone always saw through it. If it was bad enough, they would gently sit the golden Paladin down and talk with her, reassuring her that the injury or emotions didn’t make her weak. And it seemed Catalina was slowly getting more open to the idea, although Anne (and all of the queens) knew it would take a lot longer before her walls fully fell, if they ever did. There was even one occasion where Anne and Catalina were alone when Catalina was trying to hide a nightmare. Anne simply pestered and annoyed the woman until they were competing in rather playful, one sided banter that distracted the both of them.

Jane was an anxious person. And Anne was pretty sure she knew the cause (she could add that to the growing list of why she hated Henry). But Jane was usually calmed by the others, Anna especially had a calming effect on the blonde elf. Jane was also the mother of the group, helping Kat with nightmares, making sure Catalina and Cathy didn’t overwork themselves, and making sure Anna felt appreciated. She even kept her motherly eye on Anne, always making a point to ask how she was doing. (She also had a temper that rivaled Anne’s, but Anne didn’t seem that too important.)

Anna had some self esteem issues. Anne had accidentally overheard Jane and Anna talking about it one night. And whenever Anna was in a funk and no one else (except Jane, the barbarian’s wife always seemed to know) noticed, Anne would wander as close as she could from her position as Cathy’s shadow and try to cheer Anna up, distracting her. Anna was also like a big sister to everyone, always able to calm them and listened with a patient ear to everyone’s worries. Yes, she liked fun and was loud, but when someone came to her for assistance, she was calm and steady as she listened and gave advice.

Kat had many demons. Stemming from childhood abuse and the abuse that took place as her time as queen. Sexual abuse. Rape. And Anne wasn’t scared to admit that she wished the worst fates for those that hurt the bard. It wasn’t uncommon for the young elf to wake up in the middle of the night with a terrifying nightmare and a scream that had everyone by her side in seconds. If Kat couldn’t go back to sleep after the nightmare, Anne would stay by her side until morning, something that was clearly a comfort to Kat.

Cathy was a worrier. She worried about Henry, Anne, and anything that could be a problem. Whenever Anne spotted Cathy about to spiral into those thoughts, she always found a way to distract her. Be it through bothering her, getting another queen’s attention, or getting Cathy to read or write. Cathy gets lost in her thoughts, good and bad. And sometimes, she just needed someone to pull her back to reality for a few moments. Anne was happy to do it.

They all even tried to help Anne in return, not that the shadow elf thought they could do much.

For one thing, they all started calling her ‘Shadow.’

Anne didn’t mind. They didn’t know, and couldn’t learn, her real name after all.

She was just happy to be acknowledged. It was even more acknowledgement than back in Holbein, if that was even possible.

Even as a shadow, attached to Cathy just like your average shadow, the others noticed her.

Even though Anne couldn’t speak, tell them anything, they always took notice of her. Kept as close an eye on her as they did each other. Anne kept an eye on all of them in return.

They always glanced at her to try and catch her opinion on matters through gestures and the expression that her white lips and eyes made.

They always included her in fireside conversation.

While Kat played her flute, Jane pulled out the smallest of sewing kits she managed to keep on her, Catalina and Anna finished polishing their armor and weapons, and Cathy pulled out another book or looked over her supplies. There was always the peaceful chatter of conversation.

Be it more serious topics or friendly, relaxed banter. There was usually a conversation. And they always made a point to include Anne.

“Hey, Shadow! Do you think Jane would like this? Also, do you think I could take on a dragon? Cathy says no.”

“Shadow, dear, please watch the fire. Yes, I know you’re a shadow, but still!”

“Shadow, is there any way you could point out what class you are? I’m rather curious.”

“Shadow! What do you think of my new song!”

“Do you want to read this with me, Shadow?”

And after years of being a shadow. Years of being stuck without a voice and so so cold. Years of being alone…

Anne felt seen.

~~||~~||~~

The night was their time to sleep. Anne didn’t need sleep. So she resigned herself to keeping guard. She would have made many teasing and sarcastic comments about it had she been able to talk.

But as much as she would have complained, Anne didn’t mind. The group was doing all they could during the day. They deserved to have uninterrupted sleep.

Besides, night was when Anne thrived. Shadows were everywhere after all, and Cathy’s shadow merged with them, allowing Anne the freedom to scare off intruders and keep her companions safe.

Which is why Anne scared away two guards who came a little too close to their camp.

She didn’t know why they were this far into the woods in the middle of the night. And frankly, Anne didn’t really care. She just wanted them gone. (And if scaring away those who could harm the others was an amusement for Anne, then that was just an added bonus)

One guard was confident and arrogant, leading his companion through the trees without care. The other was timid, and startled at every movement in the shadows of the night.

Anne was quickly putting a plan in action. She made sure the timid guard saw her. Every so often, she would allow him a glance of her. She wasn’t scared to admit that his fear caused her to laugh.

“I’m telling you I saw something!” The timid guard practically whimpered.

“Ha! There’s nothing out here! Man up!” The confident guard snapped, a hand slapping the timid guard’s back.

Oh, Anne was going to enjoy scaring this one.

It was that second that she realized that they were about to reach the camp. Her white eyes widened with realization and she quickly rushed ahead of the guards.

She quickly plastered on a creepy grin and waited. She refused to let the two idiots find her friends.

Anne didn’t wait long at all. Only half a second later, the two guards emerged from the bushes and they both jolted upon seeing the shadow with terrifying white eyes and an accompanying smile.

The confident guard’s eyes widened almost frantically and he took several startled steps backwards. “What… the hell is that?”

“I told you!” The timid guard yelped in a panic, hiding behind the confident one.

The confident guard let out a snarl and jabbed at Anne with the spear in his hand.

Upon seeing the spear simply go through Anne, both of them froze. Anne couldn’t hide her grin getting wider at that one. What did they think would happen?

There was a second of silence before both of them began to scream. The formerly confident guard tripping backwards over the timid one.

From there, they both bolted away from her, tripping and pushing each other all the while.

Pleased with her work, Anne made sure they left before going back to the others.

All of them were up, weapons raised. They were alert and peering through the dark but blinking sleep out of their eyes. The past few days had been very lacking in sleep.

Anne mumbled an insult directed towards the two men before swiftly going over to them.

She gave Cathy’s sleeve a familiar, tiny tug that the wizard noticed immediately.

“Shadow? What was that scream?” Cathy asked quickly. Anne managed to pull herself up, using the night’s advantage, to gently push at Cathy’s shoulders, steering her back towards her sleeping spot.

By the time Anne managed to get everyone back in their sleeping spots, she had used all of the energy to interact with the real world she had for a while.

Luckily, it seemed everyone was too tired to complain. And they took Anne’s gentle guidance to mean that everything was safe.

It was only when everyone’s breathing calmed and they went back to sleep that Anne allowed herself to relax fully, going back to watching and listening for danger.

She couldn’t do much for the group. The least she could do was keep guard over their sleep.

~~||~~||~~

In every town they went to, Cathy would always look for a way to free Anne.

While the others searched for clues to stopping Henry or solving whatever problem the town was having, Cathy always made time to try and find a cure to Anne’s curse.

They would go to the library, ask around town (although discreetly), look around shops selling magic spells and potions.

Unless something pressing came up, Kat joined them.

(On the rare occasion Kat didn’t join them, another member of their group usually did. They’ve had each queen accompany them on their little side quest at least once now.)

And Anne was very amused.

Why? Because the two so obviously had feelings for each other.

They shared personal secrets with each other. Kat was comfortable enough to tell the story of her scar (Anne flinched upon hearing the retelling, it was still a horrifying experience) and also the story of her childhood. Of Mannox, Dereham, Henry, and Thomas. Cathy was rightfully furious upon learning this and Anne’s face noticeably twisted into a scowl.

(Both of them vowed to look after Kat however they could. She could look after herself, they had seen it themselves, but it didn’t stop them from wanting to help her.)

Cathy told Kat of the still healing wound of Thomas. She told of the engagement to Henry, the fear of him after the fates of his other five wives, and her own childhood.

They trust each other greatly, that much was clear. But it wasn’t just how open they were.

There was the staring, the shy looks and blushing upon being caught looking at each other. Anne had even witnessed them do the cliche act of reaching towards an object at the same time.

If they weren’t in love with each other, then Anne wasn’t cursed.

So when they were making their way through town, looking for a cure to Anne’s curse, it was actually hurting Anne to watch the two dance around each other. (And she couldn’t be hurt, so that was saying something)

At this point? While the pining was still adorable, it was starting to become annoying.

So was it really that bad if Anne ended up accidentally using her powers (complete accident!) to trip Cathy’s foot just enough for her to trip into Kat?

Whoops.

Kat yelped and managed to twist so she was holding Cathy in a dip, their faces inches apart. Both of them blushed beet red, the red even trailing up to the tip of Kat’s pointed ears.

Then, both of them shot up, beginning to babble apologies.

“I’m so sorry—!”

“No no, I’m sorry for tripping like that—!”

They both froze and glanced down to their hands. They were still holding each other’s hands. That realization made them blush further, but neither made an attempt to pull away.

After a moment, Cathy carefully spoke. “Is this alright?”

“Yes!” Kat beamed, she quickly calmed a second later. “Yes. It’s great, actually.”

They continued around town holding hands. They didn’t let go, keeping each other close as they searched for a way to help their friend.

Said friend was smiling happily as she took in their clasped hands. They didn’t confess, but Anne found that holding hands was just as cute.

Eventually, they had scoured the entire village.

Cathy was frowning, clearly upset that she hadn’t found anything in yet another town. “I guess we should meet up with the others. The mayor mentioned something about zombies appearing at night…”

But Kat tugged gently on her hand, keeping the both of them in place. “Are you alright?” The elvish bard asked in concern.

Cathy blinked in surprise. “Yes, I’m fine... Why do you ask?”

Kat paused. “It’s just… you seemed so sad a second ago.”

Cathy’s frown returned and she glanced down to Anne, who realized what the problem was and looked back sadly. “It’s just… we’ve been to several towns now and there’s still no sign of a cure for Shadow.”

Kat’s gaze softened with understanding. “Oh, Cathy… We knew there was no easy fix.”

“I’m a wizard! I’m supposed to understand magic! And I can’t find a simple spell!” Cathy didn’t look at Anne or Kat. “It feels like I’m letting her down…”

Anne’s heart clenched upon hearing that.

Cathy really thought she was letting her down? It was the pure opposite! Anne was still amazed by (and didn’t quite understand) just how determined Cathy was to free her.

“Cathy, can you look at me?” Kat asked slowly. She smiled at the wizard, who did turn her head to look at her. “I don’t know every song or every magic I can use as a bard… there’s no way you could know every spell out there. Besides, Anne’s curse is dark magic. It isn’t just some ‘simple spell.’”

Cathy opened her mouth to speak but Kat continued. “We will not stop looking until we find the cure. I promise you. And I know the others aren’t going to stop either.” Then, Kat gestured to Anne. “And look at Shadow… she isn’t upset because you’re letting her down. She’s upset that you think you are…”

Cathy and Anne held eye contact for a moment, taking in each other’s expression and sadness. Then, Cathy let out a shaky breath, looking to both Anne and Kat. “I’m sorry… both of you.”

“Don’t be sorry! That feeling was completely understandable… Just know that you aren’t letting anybody down. We’ll figure it all out. Shadow, Henry. All of it.” Kat reassured, rubbing the back of Cathy’s hand with her thumb.

Truthfully, Kat was also wondering if they would be able to solve everything. Would they free Shadow? Would they stop Henry?

But… Kat was choosing to hold onto hope. They would figure it out. She believed they would. And now, she wanted to help Cathy find that hope too.

They sat there for a moment, taking in the setting sun and the last few wandering people finishing up business.

And then, Kat let out a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. With all the confidence she could muster… “Can I take you out on a date?”

Cathy’s eyes widened and her blush deepened. Her thoughts seemed to go haywire for a moment before she calmed and spoke, a smile on her face. “Want to go to the shop down the street? We might not get a second chance and there’s still some time before nightfall…”

“It sounds perfect!”

It was as simple as that.

And when the two officially began dating as girlfriends a little while later, telling the others a few hours after that, Anne knew her personal little mission was complete.

~~||~~||~~

While Kat and Cathy’s relationship had been secured, and Anna and Jane were still happily married. Anne did not have a partner.

But she did have a crush. On one Catalina de Aragon.

She tried to keep it hidden. It wasn’t like she could ask the woman out.

But she could admire Catalina. She could admire how beautiful and strong the woman was, inside and out.

And apparently, the admiring was more obvious than she thought. As proven when Cathy returned the favor during a training session.

If they went a few days without monster attacks, the queens would hold training sessions with each other. They couldn’t let their guard down after all.

Currently, Cathy was sitting out, having traded places with Kat. They had a rotation system since there were five of them (they counted Anne in everything but that. Anne was pretty upset and grumpy, but understood completely). So Cathy and Anne simply watched the battles in front of them.

Cathy’s eyes were trained on Kat, the elf was sparring with Anna. Cathy’s eyes hardly trailed from her girlfriend as the bard played her music and dodged nimbly away from the barbarian’s practically earth shattering attacks.

But Anne’s eyes were captured on Catalina. How she deflected Jane’s rapier with her shield. How beautiful, strong, and even regal she looked in her armor, sweating and showing off her strength.

A laugh caught Anne’s attention and she glanced over at Cathy to find the human laughing at her. Anne frowned and Cathy’s laughter only deepened.

But then she pulled herself together and spoke in a very teasing tone. “So… Catalina, hmm? That’s my godmother you’re crushing on, Shadow.”

Oh shit!

Anne felt her eyes unwillingly widen and she knew the gig was up. She crossed her arms and looked away from Cathy, knowing that her face would have been red had she been able to blush.

“It’s alright, Shadow. I think it’s rather cute.” Cathy soothed the embarrassed shadow elf.

Anne gave her a glance out of the corner of her eye. Cathy smiled patiently back, although there was a certain glint in her eye that told Anne that the teasing would for sure continue later.

There was a moment of silence, Anne slowly easing before she gave Cathy a confused look. She even tried to say, ‘how did you know?’ It didn’t work, but Cathy got the message.

Cathy chuckled. “You had that dopey, lovesick smile.”

Anne looked away from Cathy, stubbornly crossing her arms.

“I think you should talk to her. Maybe you can eventually ask her out.” Cathy told her. “It worked for me and Kat.”

Anne glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. She was clearly saying ‘you know I helped cause that, right?’

“Fair enough.” Cathy agreed with another burst of laughter. “I’m serious though, Shadow.”

Anne frowned. It wasn’t like she could. She couldn’t speak and she could barely be seen too. Her mood dropped and she gestured to herself.

Cathy took notice and a frown crossed her face before turning into a determined stare. She looked away from Anne, back towards the sparring. “Then it’s just another reason for me to free you.”

Anne stared blankly for a moment before turning back to Catalina, her thoughts running wild from that conversation. But while thinking, she faintly noticed the lovesick smile that Cathy described spreading across her lips again as she watched the paladin spar with Jane.

~~||~~||~~

One day, they came upon an abandoned house that apparently belonged to Kat’s family. They were able to tell due to the crest on the door.

Kat had been eager to look inside and the other queens indulged her, keeping a close eye out for danger.

It was in the attic that they found a book. A book that displayed the Howard family tree, updated periodically through magic.

Currently, Jane and Kat were chattering happily with each other, happy with their newfound connection as distant cousins. Anna was joyfully pointing out how her name had been placed with Jane’s by the book’s magic.

Catalina was looking over Kat’s shoulder to the family tree again, chuckling fondly at the queens. Cathy mentioned something about how Catalina and her were family as well before going on to fix her reply to state that all of them were family.

Everyone grinned at that and Anne found herself shrinking back.

Yeah. They were family. Probably didn’t include her. The shadow that they picked up along the way.

She was more like the family pet than anything.

So she stayed back like a pet would. Not like she could talk to them either… just like an animal. So she would watch and interact, just like she’s always done with them.

But that was the exact second Anne noticed something in Kat’s book. Her name.

Her name was in the book on Kat’s family tree.

Anne’s white eyes widened and she lurched forward. Well, as forward as she could.

She could tell the others her name!

Cathy noticed the movement out of the corner of her eye and looked to her shadow. She seemed to notice the expression on Anne’s face.

“Shadow? What’s wrong?”

That caught everyone else’s attention and they all tensed. Anne had alerted others to danger before, so were they in danger?

Anne tried to speak, her excitement and shock taking over.

‘Cathy! My name! That’s my name in that book!’

But upon seeing the sad, almost heartbroken, look on Cathy’s face, Anne began pointing. She pointed vigorously at the book. In the shadowy abyss she moved her arm up, across the floor to point at the book in Kat’s hands.

Realization hit Cathy almost immediately. The wizard seemed to know exactly what Anne was pointing out. “The book… is your name in the book?!” An excited look came across Cathy’s face as well.

The white smile and white eyes grew larger and Anne felt warmth bloom in her chest, obvious among the cold darkness. She nodded and the others all felt their own excitement grow.

They swiftly began reading over names. All of the ones they had read were wrong. And each time they got it incorrect, Anne would shake her head. But no one lost their energy. Anne had confirmed that one of these names was the right one, they just needed to find it.

And Kat was excited. Shadow was related to her and by extension, also Jane!

That was when Catalina noticed a name on the page. She swiftly reached over and tugged it from Kat’s hands, wide eyed.

“It can’t be…” the Paladin whispered, reading over the name multiple times. Then, she brought her face up from the page to stare at Anne. “Is your name Anne Boleyn?”

Anne felt excitement thrum in her chest. They finally knew her name! They knew who she was!

“Our final queen was with us the whole time!” Anna realized.

It was Jane who realized something else. “It was Henry who did this to you…”

Anne’s energy faded as the memories of that night returned. Henry standing there with a dagger and a scroll. Terror holding an iron grip on her. The blood gushing from her throat. The cold shadows’ first grip on her. Elizabeth.

Henry hadn’t listened when she pleaded. He turned his back on her. Everyone did. How long would it be before these wonderful queens did as well?

“Anne!”

Anne jolted at the sudden use of her name. It had been so long since she heard it's use. She whipped her head to stare at the speaker. Kat.

Oh, when had she started breathing so fast? Could a shadow hyperventilate (did she even breathe at this point)? She certainly couldn’t feel any of the physical negative effects.

“You’re having a panic attack, Annie. Can you breathe with me?” Kat asked in a soothing whisper, crouching next to where the shadow had stretched herself as far away from everyone as she could.

Anne didn’t know if she could. The panic still gripped at her throat. And again, could she even breathe in the first place? How could something that couldn’t breathe in the first place calm itself down?

Anne curled further into herself, the familiar darkness surrounding her. An existential crisis mixed with her panic and for a moment, Anne wasn’t entirely sure where she was. Was she back in the castle or still in the shadows?

Then, a melody pricked at her ears.

A gentle flute was playing and causing Anne to glance up. Kat was sitting in front of her and gently playing the flute. (Had Anne not been focusing every ounce of her attention on Kat and the sweet lullaby, she would have noticed the others sitting nearby as well)

Anne felt her body relax as Kat continued to play. The bard’s eyes were closed serenely and she was playing a very familiar melody.

(Kat had managed to figure out that this particular lullaby was Anne’s favorite. Every queen had their favorite song and the bard would always play their favorite if they were in distress or needed to be calmed.)

They stayed this way for several long minutes before the song slowed to a stop.

“Henry hurt you like he did the rest of us, hmm?” Kat asked after a moment. “Maybe even more so…”

For a moment, Anne’s temper flared and she clenched her fists. Anger at Henry, anger at Kat for talking to her as if she was a child. But it drained away just as quickly. At this point… after being angry and sad over everything for years, Anne was just tired.

(And besides, Anne knew Kat was just trying to calm her. Really, it felt nice.)

The anger faded and Anne nodded slowly, closing her eyes and leaning back further into the cold shadows. She had a small hope that she could vanish into them. That excitement from earlier was long gone by now.

Yeah, they knew her name. But they still couldn’t free her. Anne just knew it.

Faintly, she registered the others talking to her and each other, but she zoned them out. Her panic was gone, but the intrusive thoughts still lingered.

Eventually, Anne managed to tap them out (not really, but for right now it was enough) and focus back on the others. They all looked relieved to see that she was back with them.

After a few more minutes of making sure Anne was okay and excitement over her name, they left the building. Kat was still hugging the book close to her chest.

On their way out, Anne realized something else.

Catalina knew her name. Catalina knew her as the person who stole Henry from her. That realization did not bring pleasant thoughts and she quickly found herself growing nervous around the woman.

And later that night, Catalina pulled Cathy and Anne aside, wanting to talk with the shadow. Cathy sat off to the side with a book, far enough away so that she couldn't hear, but close enough that Anne and Catalina could sit together. Kat joined her, the two curling up together and sharing the book. (Faintly, they could hear Kat complain about how cold Cathy was)

“I don’t blame you.” Catalina had said, having noticed just how nervous Anne had gotten around her. “Henry’s the one who sent me away. And if I know him, then he forced himself onto you, yes?”

Anne nodded slowly.

Catalina nodded, almost to herself. But it was a sad sort of nod. “I knew it… and of course, he’s the one who put you in this state.”

Catalina is trembling in anger now, fists clenched. Anne can’t stop herself from being taken aback. In the time she had known the woman, she only got this angry whenever someone she cared about was hurt.

Was Anne really one of those people?

Catalina glanced at her, and it was almost as if she read the shadow’s mind. “I care about you a lot, Anne. In the little time I knew you, you were always a bright and amazing woman. And even now, as a shadow, you clearly are brilliant and strong, and so caring too.”

‘What…?’ Anne found herself whispering, even though Catalina couldn’t hear her. But the Paladin saw her lips move.

A sad look crossed Catalina’s face for a fleeting moment. “I can’t imagine what it feels like. To be trapped as a shadow. Unseen for so long and unable to touch, eat, or sleep. I don’t know what it feels like to be so alone. If I was in your position, I think I would have given up by now...” Catalina murmured, more to herself than Anne.

Anne’s expression softened, noticeable even on her shadow. Without thinking, she carefully tried to reach out and take hold of Catalina’s hand.

Her black fingers simply faded across Catalina’s hand, just like they had with Elizabeth so long ago.

Anne physically recoiled at the sight and sudden memories that came from it.

Catalina noticed her panic and she reached out for Anne, only to jolt back with realization. For a moment, both of them stared at each other, Anne still panicking, turning her gaze away and bringing it back every few seconds.

So Catalina used her voice.

“Hey, you’re okay, Anne. It’s alright.” She began to smooth, turning so she was fully facing the shadow.

She continued her soothing words and eventually, Anne began to calm down. But where her panic faded, a depression took its place.

Maybe… no matter what the others did, she would be like this forever. Anne found herself staring forlornly down at her hands. She couldn’t cry, she couldn’t feel, she couldn’t do anything.

Catalina observed her quietly for a moment. Anne had never let herself be this vulnerable with her. Catalina didn’t know if it was the same with the others, but it was still a sad sight.

She knew Anne was probably depressed. It was hard not to notice. Being cursed like this simply had that effect on someone. And for several years now? Catalina meant it when she thought Anne was strong.

(Faintly, Catalina wondered that if Anne had been able to kill herself… would she have done it? Her heart dropped with despair at the thought.)

Every so often, everyone would notice Anne’s familiar smile slip into a deep sadness. But none of them quite knew how to bring it up. So they simply kept a close eye on the shadow.

Catalina already made a promise to herself. But she felt the need to vocalize it. Make sure Anne knew not to give up hope.

(And that night, Catalina would give an extra prayer to the god she worshiped and recieved her powers from. Make extra sure that some day, no matter how long it took, Anne would get the freedom she deserved)

“I know Cathy has already promised this… but I swear to you that we will free you.” Catalina’s voice was steel with determination.

For a moment, Anne could only stare. And then, she slowly nodded. The other queens wanted to help her. And Anne found herself believing more and more as time went on they would. Maybe they would free her from this curse.

There was also the growing crush on Catalina. If anything, after this, Anne thinks she just fell deeper in love with the Paladin.

Catalina smiled softly and if Anne wasn’t a shadow, she would have felt the heat that flooded her cheeks. That didn’t stop her from hearing her own heartbeat in her ears, increasing speed.

“It’s nice to finally know your name, Anne.”

~~||~~||~~

Henry’s forces were growing far more dangerous. As were the monsters in this particular area.

The demons at Henry’s command were growing stronger by the day, but it still seemed he couldn’t send but a small group. Still… the greater strength was frightening and the queens knew something was wrong.

The most terrifying theory… was Henry starting to sacrifice innocents?

But they put that in the back of their minds for now. They had reached the next town in their journey.

Kat had gone ahead to check the town. Make sure there weren’t too many guards like there had been in the last town.

She was gone for a while and the remaining members back at their camp made small talk, preparing to pack up camp if they needed to.

But they were surprised when Kat returned with pure joy in her eyes. Something had clearly gotten their elvish bard excited.

Kat actually picked Cathy up in a twirl. Cathy yelped in surprise but didn’t argue when Kat sat her back onto her feet and planted an excited kiss to her lips.

Anna was laughing, Jane was chuckling, and Catalina looked amused.

“I appreciate it, mi amor, but can I ask about your sudden excitement?” Cathy asked with a chuckle, not letting go of her girlfriend.

Kat was absolutely beaming and she turned to look at everyone, not just Cathy. Anne blinked in surprise upon noticing what seemed to be happy tears in the corner of the pink dressed elf’s eyes.

“I think I found out how to free Anne!”

At that comment everyone paused for a moment before everyone began talking at once.

“Really—?!”

“By the gods—!”

“We can finally free her—?!”

“You’re not joking, are you…?” Cathy’s voice was quiet. She had been looking for the spell for this long… had they really finally found it?

Kat beamed at her, her hands moving to hold Cathy’s hands in her own. “It’s just a lead, but it’s the most we’ve got! Apparently there’s a woman who owns a magic shop in another town. A shifty guy in the inn was talking about the exact spell Anne was trapped in! She’s the one who made it and probably sold it to Henry!”

“Well then, let’s go! What town?” Anna spoke up eagerly, clearly ready to get on the road.

Kat winced, suddenly shrinking. “That’s the problem… the town we need to go to is Ironhaven… to the north.”

Everyone glanced at each other. They had already made plans to head in a different direction (an old friend of Catalina’s was there who could help them. Maybe they could even start gathering an army to try and bring down Henry). And the path to that particular town was rather dangerous.

But then everyone glanced at Anne.

The shadow looked sad, that glimmer of hope fading for acceptance. She knew the danger as well. And she accepted that they couldn’t take the time to free her.

“Well queens, lets free our friend, yes?” Jane spoke up, beaming at everyone. The other four grinned, the same idea in their own heads.

For a moment, all Anne could do was stare. They were willing to make a detour like that to free her?

A nobody shadow... A person they couldn’t even see?

“Anne?” Jane’s voice caused Anne to glance back up. It was filled with worry. “Did you think we wouldn’t want to save you…?”

Anne paused. That was all the confirmation the others needed.

“We want to free you, Anne. I promised that I would free you. And I’m going to keep it.” Cathy declared, her face becoming steely with determination.

“So did I. And I know the others feel the same way.” Catalina said, already beginning to pick up camp with Anna’s help.

“We’re going to free you, Anne. No matter what kind of path we have to take!” Kat told the shadow, moving to help the others.

Anne could only watch, wide eyed as the group picked up camp right then and there. Jane was chuckling as she moved to help Anna, giving her wife a kiss on the cheek. Cathy and Kat began to pick up objects and put them in bags. Catalina helped with heavier objects.

Anne faintly noticed her own, shadowy hands shaking. She also knew that tears would have been pouring down her cheeks if they could.

These queens… they really were something else...

~~||~~||~~

It was a few days later that they reached the town where they could hopefully free Anne. They got a room for the night in the inn before making their way through the town, looking for the woman they needed.

They found her in a shop that sold spells and potions.

“Hello there!” The woman greeted them at the door of her rather small shop. She wore a pleasant but noticeably forced smile.

“Hello, we were looking for a spell.” It was Cathy who spoke, looking at a bookshelf of books with interest.

The woman perked up. “Yes, of course! What kind of spell do you need? I have many different spells. Fire spells, water spells, and many more!”

“We’re looking for a spell that can free someone from shadows.” Cathy said, looking back to the woman, her expression cold. If they had learned right, this woman also made the spell that trapped Anne in the first place.

And just like that, the woman froze. For a moment she looked horrified, and then disgust mixed with it. She glanced down and noticed Anne in place of Cathy’s shadow.

“You want to free a shadow creature?!”

None of the queens liked her tone or expression.

“We want to free our friend. Are you going to give us the spell or not?” Catalina straightened, glaring at the woman.

“No I will not!” The woman practically shrieked. “That beast isn’t a friend! It’s a monster! Now get that… that thing out of my shop!” She huffed, glaring at Anne. “The king made a good use out of that spell…”

The queens' anger deepened further when they noticed Anne shrinking, the already small hope fading from her expression. They all knew that there was no way they were leaving without that spell.

Jane’s temper rose upon seeing her cousin’s depressed stare. “Ma’am I would hand over that spell if I were you.”

The woman snorted. “Or what? You can’t do anything to me! I would rather die than see a creature of shadows be freed.”

Anna’s frustration finally reached its limits. She stepped forward and towered over the suddenly cowering woman.

“You will be giving us that spell.” The barbarian said in a cold tone. “Anne has been nothing of a friend to us. She doesn’t deserve to spend her life like this.”

“She’s a creature of shadows!” The woman bristled. “A monster that will kill us all!”

Kat raised an eyebrow, clearly done with the woman’s remarks. “And you’re a racist.” She drawled.

“No, I’m a protector of the innocents! That spell was used for a reason!” The woman insisted.

“That spell was used by a coward. There was no good reason behind it. Only bad ones.” Catalina stepped up next to Anna, also trying to intimidate the woman.

The woman still stared back defiantly. Cathy sighed, taking a step forward. “We will be leaving with that spell. Our friend doesn’t deserve to be in the darkness any longer. If it’s like you say, we’ll deal with it.” Anne flinched at that and suddenly, the shadows felt much colder than they ever had.

“But I doubt it will be.” Cathy finished, holding out her hand expectantly. The woman glowered for another moment before sensing her defeat. She looked through a section of scrolls and books for a moment before pulling out a scroll.

“The second spell is the one that will free that wretched beast.” The woman practically snarled, shoving the scroll into Cathy’s hand.

Everyone glared a bit harder and Cathy took a deep breath to calm herself before turning and heading for the door. “Have a bad day, ma’am.”

“You’re lucky you didn’t piss us off anymore than you did.” Anna snapped before following suit.

The other three also gave one last glare and remark before they all filed out of the store. The anger quickly faded, replaced by sheer excitement as they realized what they just accomplished.

Cathy’s grip on the scroll tightened. They had gained this opportunity in the span of a few minutes, she wasn’t going to lose it now.

“You’ve doomed us! You’ve doomed us all! You’ll regret this you idiots! You’ll regret this!” The women wailed behind them.

They all ignored her. They were too excited and filled with anticipation to care.

(Anne still wasn’t quite sure this was real)

~~||~~||~~

After getting the spell, everyone headed back to the inn they had stayed in. They couldn’t just do it in broad daylight, everyone knew that would probably do more harm than good.

From what they had gathered, Anne wasn’t able to feel anything in this state. And she hadn’t been able to feel anything for so long. So when she was freed, her senses would probably be on overdrive trying to process everything again.

Which is why they hid away in their rented room, trying to keep it as quiet and calm as possible. The door was closed firmly, blocking away the sounds of the bar downstairs.

Catalina began mumbling a prayer under her breath. Jane and Anna press a little closer together as they watch with hope. Kat was fidgeting anxiously with her flute but excitement also shone clear in her eyes.

“Are you ready, Anne?” Cathy asked, unfurling the scroll.

Anne nodded vigorously. After all these years, was she finally about to be freed?

In the past few months, she had gotten to know these wonderful women. Was she finally about to have her wish granted? Her wish of being able to talk and interact with them? To finally be able to feel and touch everything? (Was she going to be able to be comforted? Was she finally going to be seen in full again? And Elizabeth… was she finally going to be a mother when she reunited with her daughter?)

Was she finally about to escape the cold grip?

The queens were having similar thoughts. Were they finally going to free Anne? Were they about to keep their promise? Were they going to get to talk to her? See her?

Cathy carefully began to read the spell. Like many spells, it was in a different, rather ancient language.

It was also longer than most spells. But that could be attributed to the tense waiting game they were all playing.

Cathy read out the last word and her gaze shot up to Anne immediately, watching with bated breath.

There was a noticeable shift in the air, the shadows in the room growing larger for a moment. Anne’s shadow wavered for a moment, her eyes closing.

And slowly, a figure stepped out of the shadows where Anne once was trapped.

She stumbled slightly, but still stood on her feet. She let out a gasped breath, staring at her hands and body. The queens felt joy spring into their hearts as they realized that it worked. They managed to free her!

And even after years of being in the shadows, Anne Boleyn was beautiful.

Grey skin that could easily be connected to her status as at least part shadow-elf, the pointed ears only helping that case. Her emerald eyes were bright with hope but dimmed by years of being cast into the shadows. A scar across the front of Anne’s neck, not unsimilar to Kat’s. Her hair was up in buns and she wore a green nightgown, showing that she had been either going to bed or in bed when Henry casted the fateful spell.

For a moment, Anne staggered in place, blinking wide eyed at the room and women in front of her. And then, her legs gave out, clearly unused to actually being used.

Cathy was quickly leaping forward to catch her and gently lower her to the floor. The others jumped forward too, but Cathy was the first to reach Anne, causing the others to stay back so as to not overwhelm the shadow elf.

Cathy carefully held Anne’s head on her lap. For a moment, both women simply stared at each other.

Anne let out a shaky breath, curling her fingers against the wooden flooring. She could feel it. The cold that had surrounded her was fading as well, and Anne suddenly realized just how cold the shadows had been.

“Somnolente…” Anne’s voice came out rasped from disuse and she let out a small cough. She stared up at Cathy’s eyes. Cathy took in just how hopeful the elf looked. “Is this real?”

That was Cathy’s breaking point. Tears gathered in her eyes and the smallest of sobs escaped her lips. “It is, Anne. It’s real… you’re finally free.”

Anne let her own tears slip as she closed her eyes. She ever so slowly moved her arms up to place her hands on Cathy’s cheeks. She felt so weak, she could barely even do that. Cathy moved her own hands up to hold Anne’s when the woman’s arms faltered and almost fell back down. Cathy tilted forward so she was bowed over, her forehead pressed against Anne’s.

For a long moment, the two remained in that position.

Honestly, all the touch and feelings were overwhelming to Anne. But at the same time… she was able to feel. She was able to feel the cool wood under her, Cathy’s forehead against hers, the wizard’s cheeks under her hands and the tears running over her own cheeks and hands.

Yes it hurt, but it was also amazing…

“Others?” Anne managed to ask in almost a whisper.

At this, Cathy brought herself back to kneeling straight up. She glanced behind her to the other queens.

Kat and Jane were openly crying, tears falling down their cheeks. Anna and Catalina’s gazes were soft and they had tears in the corners of their eyes.

Cathy nodded their heads and they all perked up. They clearly restrained themselves as they slowly made their way over and kneeled down on either side of Anne.

“We’re all right here, love.” Jane murmured, not bothering to try and hide her tears as a joyful smile came onto her face.

One of Anne’s hands was released by Cathy and Anne shakily brought it into the air, letting another queen grab onto it. That queen was Catalina and Anne let her hand go slack in the strong grip. She could feel one of Kat’s hands replace Cathy’s cupping her cheek and she could feel Anna and Jane next to her as well.

The touch was overwhelming, yet it felt so so good. It proved she was really here. It proved she wasn’t cold anymore.

“You’re all so warm.” More tears appeared in Anne’s eyes and there was nothing she could to stop them.

With her limited energy, her hand clenched tighter to Catalina’s and her head pressed back further against Cathy’s legs, as if she was afraid that removing the contact would suddenly thrust her back into shadows.

And really, that’s exactly what she thought.

“I can feel you… you can hear me… you can see me!” Anne had become louder, more excited as she went on and she had to break off into a cough.

“We can, Annie! We can!” Kat let out a watery laugh, her free hand reaching over to grasp Anne’s own free hand.

At the same time, Jane also spoke gently. “Don’t hurt yourself, love! I’m sure all of this is a lot. Especially after all that time being unable to feel anything…”

“You need time to recover.” Catalina agreed, her voice soft. “Just relax…”

“And we’ll be here for you every step of getting readjusted, okay?” Anna asked, placing her gloved hand on Anne’s knee.

“You’re finally here, Anne. And we won’t lose you again.” Cathy murmured, keeping one hand on Anne’s cheek.

That was the second Anne realized exactly what the others had done for her. She closed her eyes and simply focused on the sensations around her, the other queens especially.

“Thank you…” it quickly became a repeated chant, over and over. Anne ignored her dried lips and throat, she had to get this out there.

She needed them to know just how much they had done for her.

Eventually, it was Anna and Cathy who gently shushed her and calmed her down. All five were giving her reassurances, telling her how happy they were to finally see her, how beautiful she was.

They fell into a soothing silence as Anne calmed and focused on finally feeling those she cared about. Eventually, Anne’s lack of energy decreed it was time to rest.

“I’m tired…” Anne mumbled, her eyes closing against her will.

“Sleep, Anne. We’ll all be right by your side.” Someone soothed. Anne couldn’t tell who it was.

Everyone let out a small breath when Anne fell asleep. All of them exchanged tired, proud, and most importantly, happy smiles.

Catalina gently scooped Anne into her arms as she stood, walking over to a bed. The other queens followed suit. They were going to follow what they said to Anne. They were all rather nervous to leave Anne alone anyways.

They all took up one bed, Catalina had Anne’s head on her lap, one arm wrapped around both the green queen and also Cathy and Kat. Kat and Cathy curled up together with Cathy pressed against Anne. Jane and Anna were practically draped across everyone’s feet.

Yes, it was cramped, but they were all too relieved and excited over Anne to care.

They still had a long journey ahead of them. The threat of Henry and the shadow realm still loomed over their heads. They would have to help Anne get readjusted to not being a shadow.

But that could wait until tomorrow. Now, it was time to relax and celebrate.

After all, they could finally meet and get to know Anne Boleyn in full.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne struggles to readjust after everything.
> 
> She just doesn’t want to be a burden after all that they have already done for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWs: self-esteem issues, trouble eating/sleeping, attempted/past/mentioned rape, racism, choking, anxiety, past near-death

Anne’s first day back was simply sleeping.

It was like breaking the curse sapped what remaining energy she had. (The shadows had been exhausting, more so mentally than physically) So she slept for that first day, and no one bothered to wake her up.

Anne could remember feeling warm. There were warm bodies around her and warm and soft under her head. If she had been more awake, it would’ve been a healthy reassurance that she wasn’t trapped, she was in fact free.

And when she woke up for real on the second day, that realization had hit her full force.

She had woken up slowly, disoriented. Where was she? The shadows? No… she was never able to be knocked out or go to sleep while cursed. But being free… that was impossible wasn’t it?

But then Anne had fully opened her eyes. The room was rather dim, curtains closed and the lamps and lanterns on to cast a soft glow enough for someone to see in.

And she could feel something soft under her and warmth tucked around her.

Wait… feel?

Anne shot awake at this. She moved to scramble up, but a hand pressed on her shoulder and guided her back down to laying.

“You’re alright, Anne…” It was Catalina, gently pushing Anne to lay her head on her lap again. “You’re alright…”

Anne stared up at Catalina with wide eyes. “Am I really free?” She couldn’t bring herself to care about how her voice practically squeaked, even past the dry rasp.

Catalina smiled back at her and for a moment, Anne swore she saw tears in the corner of the Paladin’s eyes. “You are, Anne. You’re free now.”

They simply stayed there in silence for several minutes.

When Anne had been freed, she had mostly been crying and taking in the queens. Now, she was taking in everything again, slightly more calmer and less exhausted than that night.

“It’s so nice to finally hear you and see you…” Catalina spoke above her, capturing Anne’s attention again. The woman’s fingers drifted through Anne’s hair, long and out of the familiar buns.

“I still can’t believe I’m finally here.” Anne gave her a grin. “You guys kept your promise…”

“We wouldn’t have stopped looking, even if the spell didn’t work.” Catalina acknowledged, chuckling at the elf’s already noticeable energy that was evident even as a shadow. “How does it feel…?”

“Weird. I haven’t been able to feel anything in so long. Smell either… I was always cold.” Anne mumbled, still thinking over and taking in everything.

It was half a second later that Anne realized her head was in Catalina’s lap. She felt the blush go across her cheeks and she moved swiftly, Catalina carefully helping her sit up against the headboard.

(Catalina had Anne’s head on her lap most of yesterday, only removing herself to stretch her legs and get some food or a drink. Besides that, she was with Anne, the shadow elf’s head on her lap as she kept careful watch over her. Truthfully, everyone else had been the same way, extremely reluctant to move from Anne’s side.)

“Where is everyone?” Anne mumbled.

“Getting some food and drinks. They’ll bring you a plate up too.” Catalina explained. “Do you feel alright?”

Anne looked at her hands, wiggling her grey fingers. “Yeah… it’s just all so weird.”

“I’m sure it is.” Catalina agreed, nodding her head.

They didn’t have room to speak anymore, for the door cracked open and the others entered with plates and mugs in hand, clearly still wary of whether Anne was asleep or not. They all perked up upon seeing her sitting up.

“You’re awake!” Anna spoke with a wide grin. “We were starting to get worried.”

Anne grinned back. “I’m awake and ready to sleep for another week still!”

“After everything, I’m sure you are.” Cathy agreed, making her way over with Kat.

The pink queen sat next to Anne, passing her a mug of water. “I’m so happy to finally get to talk with you, Annie. But I’m sure you’re thirsty!”

“I’m just happy to be free!” Anne fumbled with the mug for a moment before getting a good grip. “I still can’t believe that I’m talking to you…” she took a sip of the water. It felt strange and burned her throat for a second, but the cool relief that followed quenched it.

“It’s real, love. And you’ll never go back, we swear it. Now, you didn’t eat or drink anything yesterday.” Jane prodded gently, passing the plate over.

Ah, that would explain the headache and weird pain in her stomach that she now remembered to be dehydration and hunger. Anne hasn’t had the need to eat or drink in so long that she forgot about it.

Apparently, not having the need to eat for so long also made it strange to do so.

Because eating felt weird.

Anne actually gagged after the first bite. The others took note and began to ask what they could do to help. There wasn’t much Anne could do besides choke it down.

Maybe it would get easier as time went on. (It did, but some foods were still hard for her to eat, even much later on)

After eating, Anne looked at her wrist. Her eyes locked into the locket that hung there. The one on a bracelet around her wrist. Anne found herself releasing a relieved breath. She hadn’t taken it off before Henry’s interruption.

Vaguely, she felt the other’s gazes on her, but she hardly had a care.

Anne pulled the locket from around her wrist and held it in the palm of her hand, running her thumb over it for a moment.

The other queens glanced at each other. Should one of them say something?

“Anne?” Kat said her cousin's name, moving to sit even closer next to her. Anne gave her a small glance before looking back down to the locket. “Is everything alright?”

Anne didn’t speak. Instead, she gently clicked open the locket, allowing Kat to see the picture inside.

“Oh…”

Catalina leant over and caught sight of the picture as well. Her gaze gained a soft sadness. She glanced up to the others. “It’s a picture of Elizabeth.”

“I was about to take it off when Henry…” Anne froze for a moment. “You know… I’m glad I didn’t.” She traced her thumb over the edge of the picture.

“You’ll get to see her again.” Jane paused, but didn’t remove the hand she had just placed on Anne’s knee. “We’ll get to see them again. And this time, she’ll get to see you.”

“I can’t wait for it.” Anne gave a watery chuckle, tears in her eyes that didn’t fall as she gave the locket one last forlorn stare before snapping it close with extreme care.

(And later on, Anne would get the other five queens and herself on the other side of the locket. They were standing tall and proud together, messing around, just being themselves. Anne always treasured both pictures.)

Anne shook her head. She gave everyone a grin. “Enough sadness from me. What are we doing today?”

Everyone blinked at the sudden turn, but quickly remembered all the depression Anne tried to hide as a shadow. It seemed that would be recurring still.

“Today, we need to get you your gear. It will be a bit hard without you there, but I’m sure we’ll manage.” Cathy answered, mumbling something about a list afterwards.

“I want to go!” Anne said immediately, scrambling to sit on the edge of the bed.

Everyone blinked, surprised by the enthusiasm despite how unsteady she still seemed. But in the back of their minds they expected something like this. Shadow always was enthusiastic about what she could get across and do.

“Anne, I don’t know if that’s a good idea…” Catalina told her, reaching forward to place a hand on Anne’s shoulder.

“Maybe not.” Anne shrugged. “But I want to do this…”

“You aren’t too tired? And you haven’t exactly walked properly in a few years!” Anna told her directly, but there was no harshness in her voice.

Anne simply pulled her legs over the side of the bed and stood up before anyone could stop her.

Everyone was swiftly leaping forward to catch her, but it was Catalina and Kat that managed to, both standing up and helping Anne keep on her feet.

Anne shrugged them off after a moment. She wobbled unsteadily but soon began to shakily walk around the room, avoiding the furniture and other queens.

Everyone watched warily as she paced, ready to catch her or stop her and sit her down if they needed to.

“I spent yesterday in bed too! I need to start doing shit at some point, don’t I?” Anne growled, slowly walking around the room. She was still stumbling on her feet but the movement was coming back to her.

The queens blinked at each other. Anne was already strong headed as a shadow, but she wasn’t able to do all that much on her own. Now, she was able to assert her opinion.

And the queens were all relieved that Anne finally could make her own choices for real. They tried to give her those choices and freedom as a shadow, but she was quite literally stuck to Cathy, and she couldn’t speak with them.

They were worried about Anne going out. But she had been denied the ability to do simple stuff for so long that the queens weren’t going to block her anymore (well, unless it was harmful).

“Are you sure?” Anna double-checked. Their decision was made, but the barbarian wanted to be certain of Anne’s choice.

“I want to do this.” Anne told them, meeting each of their eyes. “I need to do this.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Alright.” Catalina finally replied, shaking her head. A fond smile was on her face. “But if you get tired or if anything happens, we’ll come right back here. Take it slow.”

A grin spread across Anne’s face.

“Another stubborn queen.” Kat smirked, looking to Jane who dealt with the stubborn queens and their knack for avoiding showing injuries (someone always made a point to mention that Jane was just as stubborn, only slightly behind Catalina, the most stubborn). “Good luck having to force another queen to be still long enough!”

Jane rolled her eyes good-naturedly, walking over to Anne. “We’ll have to get you something to wear outside, love. A nightgown wouldn’t be very good to walk around town in, hmm?”

And the only thing Anne could wear without it being too oversized was one of Cathy’s shirts, and even then it was still very baggy on her.

She put the clothes on, throwing away the nightgown and putting her hair back up in the buns before rejoining the others.

It was clear that all five of the others were amused by the sight of just how big the shirt still was on her. Anne grumbled and hissed under her breath as the others began to laugh. It wasn’t a malicious laugh, but Anne still didn’t appreciate it.

“Sorry, Anne, it’s just funny!” Anna let out another snort as she finally stamped down her laughter.

“We’re not going to say anything, promise.” Cathy told her, but she did give her a smirk. “Besides, consider this revenge for when I fell off the horse.”

Anne actually perked up at that, chuckling at the reminder.

“And we’ll get you in some proper clothes in just a little bit.” Catlina comforted, walking over to place a hand on Anne’s back and guide her to the door.

The group made their way out the door after that. They all kept a very close eye on the shadow-elf and someone always steadied her when she stumbled.

They reached the inn’s entrance without a problem. A few people were around, but not nearly as many as there are in the evenings.

The others stepped outside and Anne puffed up, excited by the chance to go outside. She trotted out the door, only for things to go south.

She felt a burning sensation on her skin. Anne yelped in pain at the feeling. The sunlight was burning her, her panicked mind knew that much.

Anne practically slammed herself backwards, back inside. The few bar patrons stared for a moment before simply going back to their conversations.

“Anne, are you alright?” Cathy was by her side immediately, looking over her for injuries.

Anne blinked wide eyed at her. “It burned.”

Cathy frowned. “The sunlight?”

“Yeah…” Anne stared at the light outside. “Guess we found a side effect.”

She already had a dislike of sunlight before the curse. She was a ‘shadow creature,’ light wasn’t her big thing. But it was a simple dislike as it was occasionally too strong for her eyes.

Never had it burned her. Both skin and eyes.

Everyone thought about what they could do. They needed Anne to be able to go outside for the quest and to live her life.

It was Kat who had an idea, quickly pushing past everyone and heading up the stairs with a shout that she would be right back. And it was only after a minute that Kat reappeared, a fabric in hand.

She draped it over Anne’s shoulders and pulled the hood up. It was a black cloak, long enough to fully cover Anne’s skin.

“Maybe this can shield you from the light?” Kat asked with a confident smile.

Anne chuckled, and wrapped an arm around Kat’s shoulders to pull her into a one armed hug (making sure that Kat could see the movement). Kat let out her own laugh and hugged Anne back with both arms.

“Smart idea, Chaton.” Anne tittered. “We’ll just have to see.”

“And I’ll try to see if I can find a spell to protect you from the sunlight.” Cathy told her, making her way to the door where the others still stood. The cousins unraveled themselves and followed after.

“Do not overwork yourself to find the spell.” Anne warned, eyes narrowing.

“I won’t.” Cathy said with a small chuckle.

“Mija, if you thought Anne could stop you before, she’ll probably be even better now that she’s real.” Catalina teased with a laugh.

“My girlfriend and her cousin are both against me.” Cathy played along, shaking her head with a fake sadness.

“Love you, Cath!” Kat pressed a kiss to Cathy’s cheek as they reached the door.

“Alright, loves. Why don’t we try this again?” Jane asked as Anne stood in the doorway.

There was an anxiety, but Anne pushed herself forward. She wanted to go outside with the others. And this cloak did hide her skin...

Anne let out a breath of relief at the lack of burning. She took in the scenery around her. People were going about their daily lives.

And now, she was a real (living and breathing) part of it all.

She walked with the others to the shops. She stumbled occasionally, still not used to actually walking again. But another queen was by her side to steady her when she did.

It would all take a while to get used to again. It was a little frustrating to Anne. After all, it was like being a child, learning how to walk, eat, and even just breathe again.

But it seemed that just like how Anne had a knack for finding ways to distract the others, they found ways to distract her.

“Hey, Anne!” Anna called, her hand still locked with Jane’s. “What kind of fighting gear are you gonna get?”

Anne perked up. “Nothing too heavy! I need to be fast on my feet!” She found herself rambling as she thought of everything she needed. “A dagger is what I used to use and of course I’ll need lockpicks and other tools.”

“Do you remember how to do all of that?” Catalina asked cautiously, clearly worried if that was the right thing she should ask.

“I’ll just have to relearn, won’t I?” Anne let out a snort before mumbling. “Just like everything else…”

She didn’t mean for the others to hear her, but they did.

“Anne, it’s the second day of being back.” Cathy told her with a frown. “Don’t beat yourself down.”

Anne huffed. “Yeah! Yeah I know… it’s just frustrating.”

“Hey, Annie. I already said this...” Kat spoke up, grabbing her cousin’s hand. “But it’s so nice to finally hear you. And I can’t wait to get to know you better!”

“Agreed! It was already clear that you have so much personality. I’m so happy that we can finally get to talk to you and know you even better!” Jane agreed, that familiar motherly smile on her face.

Anne felt her face heat up and she withdrew into the cloak slightly. “Yeah… I’m happy that I’m finally with you guys…”

“You’ve been with us this entire time.” Cathy said simply.

They stopped to get Anne’s tools first. Catalina and Anna helped her pick out the dagger she liked and could use (she wasn’t able to do much with it at the moment, but it felt light and balanced in her hand and was strong enough to not break. That was good enough). And Cathy helped her find lockpicks and other thief tools she could use.

After that, they went to a clothing shop. Jane was quickly helping her find clothes. A dark green apparel caught Anne’s eye immediately and Jane smiled as she helped Anne find a size that would fit. They then found some protective pieces, belts, and pouches for Anne’s new outfit.

Anne had been about to join most of the others in the back to try everything out when someone called for her.

“Hey, Annie, come here for a sec!” Kat beckoned her over. There were chokers on a display, along with small charms ranging from animals to letters.

Anne got the idea immediately.

No one had directly brought up her scar. They had stared at it only once, before swiftly looking away respectfully. And Anne appreciated that. Honestly, Anne didn’t care if the others knew about the scar and it’s horrifying backstory. It was just… the memories.

But it was the other queens she didn’t mind. Strangers… strangers who blatantly stared at her grey skin and that dully aching scar on their way around town. Maybe it would make her feel a bit more confident. And maybe the choker would be added protection, mentally and physically.

It sure seemed to help Kat.

(That choker didn’t just help with the problems that came with her scar. It also proved to help ground her when it felt like she was back in the shadows. Anne adored that simple black choker with just as simple a charm.)

Anne beamed thankfully at the pink bard. She swiftly snatched a black choker along with a ‘B’ charm. The charm wasn’t pure jewels like Kat’s but Anne still adored it.

With that, Anne made her way to the back room.

It took several minutes to get ready. Anne faltered a few times, her energy having faded almost completely by now after everything. But soon, she had her new clothes on, gear and weapons on her belt, and the choker a comforting weight around her neck.

Anne stared in the mirror for a moment.

She ran her hands over her body, taking in the feeling of her clothes and her cold grey skin. She still couldn’t believe all of this.

But she was walking and talking. She was feeling!

She had felt the sun’s burn earlier, she had felt her friend’s warm skin compared to her own cold skin, and she was now feeling her clothes and just… herself.

Her thoughts wandered for several more moments, Anne savoring being able to feel once again for what felt like the real first time. She didn’t notice the tears falling down her cheek right away.

The tears felt warm on her cheeks. She brought a hand up to wipe one away. How long had it been since she was last able to cry?

Anne almost broke down completely right then and there, but a voice carefully pulled her back to herself.

“Anne? Are you alright in there?” Catalina asked, concern dripping from her voice.

Anne inhaled deeply, wiping away her tears. She waited a moment, willing her voice to not crack.

“Y… yeah.” It didn’t work. The others were all silent and Anne knew that they knew she was crying.

She took a moment to steel herself. The others didn’t interrupt, holding a whispered conversation amongst themselves.

After the tears dried and most of the red around her eyes disappeared, Anne finally stepped through the door. While she had cried, this outfit gave her joy and a confidence boost.

Anne gave them all a wide smirk. This grin felt real. “Well?”

Her new attire was a pair of dark green pants that were baggy at her ankles with cuffs to keep them from tripping her. She wore a thick green top over lighter layers underneath. She had on two belts, one on her pants while the other was at an angle over her stomach. Pouches of her tools and her new dagger adorned the belt. The golden locket was still tightly attached to her wrist and her hair was up in her signature hair buns. Her choker was around her neck, the charm dangling but not making any noise.

Everyone’s eyes brightened and they all grinned back at her.

“You look badass!” Anna told her, leaning forward in her chair with a large grin.

The others let out their own agreements and if anything, Anne’s grin stretched wider. They could finally see her! It was just “I’m sure you look pretty and wonderful” anymore, it felt even more genuine (even back then, they sounded so so genuine about their compliments, even though they had never seen what she looked like) because they could actually see her this time.

Actually see her!

Again Anne couldn’t stop the wandering thought of whether or not this was real. The tears almost came back to her eyes but she managed to crush them down.

This was supposed to be a happy occasion! So Anne would ignore the tears (even the happy ones) and the tired feeling. Anne herself, and the others, had been waiting several months for this. She wasn’t going to let them down by crying.

They paid for the clothes and an extra set before leaving the shop, Anne putting on the cloak again. 

As she stepped out the front door, Anne suddenly felt that tired, lack of energy slam into her full force like a dragon and her knees buckled under her.

There were several yelps from the others but Anna was quickly catching her before she hit the ground.

“I think someone’s used up all their energy for the day.” Anna said with a chuckle, holding Anne in her arms.

“No I haven’t!” Anne protested. But it was clear in her eyes just how tired she was.

“Anne, this is only the second day you’ve been back. You’ve already done so much today. I think we can all agree that we’re surprised.” Cathy told her. Anne couldn’t see her, but her voice was brimming with sincerity.

“Exactly. And we already have everything you need. Let’s go back and rest.” Catalina directed.

The group did just that. They return to their little room in the inn and spend the rest of the day (and maybe even the next) simply resting.

Eventually, they would continue the journey with a not-so-new now physical companion. And they would learn more about her.

From good and bad situations.

~~||~~||~~

Their journey continued, the group heading back on their original path. They still had to meet up with Catalina’s friend after all.

Anne loved cloudy days. She could walk freely with the others, no worries about wearing that cloak. On sunny days, she had to hide her skin from the sun and endure the sharp light piercing her eyes.

Today happened to be a sunny day, and Anne was grumpy.

Another thing was that Anne could still go in the shadows. She knew she could use some shadow magic before the curse, small stuff. But now she could go in and out of the shadows at will.

And that made for a delima.

Anne didn’t really know how to explain it. She hadn’t gone back in the shadows but once or twice until now (the first time had been a panic attack, which didn’t go very well). But she had a draw to it, as if she needed to go back in the shadows.

Because it was a comfort. It was familiar. And even with how cold it was, it felt safe to be in the shadows. 

But the problem was that even with that comfort, every time she went back into the shadows, she got anxious. Was she trapped again? Was she going to be cursed again? She couldn’t handle being stuck again...

She gets so anxious that she forgets she can leave. As what happened this time.

The sunlight was very strong and bright today. Anne was practically overheating in the cloak, despite how cold she usually was. So she simply vanished into another queen’s shadow and stayed there as they continued along. She did it practically unconsciously, not fully realizing the transition.

It was as simple as that.

And if the others had to be honest, it took about an hour for them to realize that Anne was gone. The heat had been bearing down on all of them, causing silence as the group trailed down the path. Silence meant that no one was talking and they didn’t notice that Anne was back in the shadows.

(The others weren’t used to Anne being free either, and they hated that fact. They always kept a closer eye on whether Anne was physically with them or not after that.)

“Where’s Anne?” Kat asked, her face becoming urgent as she took in the fact that her cousin had vanished.

Everyone froze, realization sinking in their stomach and they all shot up from their break positions under a very shaded tree. They looked around for a minute before a queen realized exactly what happened.

“Wait, everyone come back!” Catalina told everyone. They all were still clearly worried as they gathered in a circle. Catalina looked down.

Sure enough, Anne blinked back from Kat’s shadow.

“There you are...” Catalina spoke, face softening with relief.

Everyone else realized and let out breaths of relief. Jane gave her cousin a small smile. “Anne, please don’t ever do anything like that again! You scared all of us to death.”

It was Anna who realized something else. “Why didn’t you come out and tell us you were with us?”

Anne paused. She had been watching the others, trying to catch their attention. She forgot that she could come out of the shadows now.

Merde.

And that was when she also realized that for some reason, be it her mind blanking or just not remembering, she couldn’t remember how to get out. How did she do it the last two times? Did she just… step out?

And Anne was sure she could remember in just a second! But that second was all it took for her to begin to spiral.

Was she trapped again? Was she unable to talk to and be seen by those she cared about a second time? She couldn’t do it all over again!

Ohgodsohgodsohgods—!

“Anne! Just breathe.” Cathy soothed, crouching down. “Can you give me your hands?”

Anne blinked, staring at Cathy like she was crazy.

“You aren’t trapped anymore, Anne. I promise. Can you please give me your hands?” Cathy held out her own.

Ever so slowly… Anne’s hands inched forward, actually emerging from the shadows. Cathy took hold and helped Anne slowly exit the shadows until their friend was standing in front of them once more.

Anne stared stubbornly at her boots, refusing to look up at everyone. “Sorry…”

“Don’t be sorry… was the sunlight too bright?” Cathy asked, not letting go of Anne’s hands.

Anne could only nod, forcing back the tears that pricked at the corner of her vision.

Yes, the light was a reason. But it wasn’t the only one. And it wasn’t the reason she panicked.

Dammit! Couldn’t she keep herself together?! These queens didn’t deserve to have her pushing more problems like this on them.

“You’ll never be stuck again, Anne. The spell is gone and burned to ash.” Jane murmured, on Anne’s right.

So was the spell that could free her.

Anne didn’t fully calm until well after the group was back on the road. She carefully avoided coming near any kind of shadow unless she had to, and if she did she passed quickly and with her head down. (Anne didn’t have her own shadow, that had vanished when Anne came back)

She wanted the comfort but the anxiety was still there. She wanted to get rid of the anxiety but she wanted the comfort.

It was all a big loop and Anne just wished it would stop. If it did and she could go in the shadows, it would be a comfort and a way to use her curse to help the others. If she couldn’t go in the shadows, then at least some of the anxiety would finally vanish (not all of it would, Anne knew that).

But she doubted it ever would.

It was later that night that Cathy found a spell that allowed Anne to walk freely in the sunlight.

Anne couldn’t tell if she loved it or hated it.

~~||~~||~~

Humans and elves were rather accepted among society.

None of the queens ever stopped to consider what might be like for shadow-elves, even if they had a hand in running the Kingdom once upon a time. Even if they knew just how the people hated Anne when she was queen.

Or rather, they didn’t fully consider it until one of them witnessed it fully themselves.

Shadow creatures were hated in society. On the same level as Tieflings and Orcs. All three were rare to find in the realm already, but in most towns, they were looked down upon.

Racism had a big impact on one specific part of Anne’s life. After all, the people’s hate of her was a major reason why Henry cursed her.

So she really should have expected the stares. The way people would pause upon noticing her grey skin, only further darkened slightly by Cathy’s spell, and her pointed ears. The way they would freeze with fear, disgust, and occasional awe as she walked the street.

She missed the cloak.

It was a way to hide her race from those who would judge her. A way to hide from the world that had already scorched her once.

(She was still healing from that burn. The other queens being the soothing miracle medicine that was slowly removing mental scars and emotional pains.)

But if she dug it out of her bag and put it on, the other queens would ask questions. Anne didn’t know if they had noticed the problem or not, but she would rather not answer questions about it.

And she really should have expected that a panic attack could follow a really bad encounter.

But no one had ever crossed that line. And truthfully, Anne hoped to the gods that it would stay that way.

Of course, someone was finally going to rip that wish in half, crossing the line from staring, to actually getting physical.

Anne really should have seen it coming. But for some reason, she didn’t expect it.

At the very least, she could tell Jane she didn’t start it. Maybe she wouldn’t get a scolding for starting a fight like she had witnessed Anna receive a while back.

Because she really hadn’t!

Anne had been in the inn. She didn’t order food or a drink. She simply sat in the corner and listened. For the most part, people ignored her. There was the occasional stare that made Anne unintentionally tense, holding her breath. But no one was bothering her.

The queens had split up through the town. Cathy and Kat had gone to replenish supplies (and go on a date, but that was obvious). Anna and Jane were at the blacksmith's, Anna needing a new battle-axe (they were also on a date, but again, Anne didn’t blame the married couple).

Catalina was somewhere in the inn with her, Anne just wasn’t sure where. Maybe she had gone to rent everyone a room?

Anne was already a little anxious. It wasn’t much. She just preferred to be close to at least one of the other queens (yes, she was clingy. Did the others seem to mind? No).

One, it was a protection thing. Anne didn’t want anything bad to happen to the group. After all, bad things had already happened on this journey, everyone simply recovered each time. But that was much less anxiety inducing than the other reason.

Two, she didn’t want to be alone again.

After all, she had been alone and forgotten for years until Cathy showed up. What if the queens left her and just disappeared, leaving her stranded once again? There was a nagging thought that maybe, just maybe, she would be pushed back into the shadows again if she wasn’t close to the others. Where they could protect her and, more importantly, interact with and accept her.

So yeah, Anne was a little anxious.

But it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. She would sit back in her seat and wait (hope) for Catalina or one of the others to come back.

It hadn’t been too long since everyone left after all, only a few minutes. She wasn’t going to seem weak and break down by being left alone for a few damn minutes!

So Anne took a deep breath, letting her eyes close. But she kept her ears open and kept her chin from leaning back too far to expose her choker covered neck. She refused to be caught off guard like she was on that fateful night.

For a few minutes, Anne only heard the loud chatter of the inn. She huffed at the noise, thinking that maybe she should see if Catalina had rented the room, or simply head outside. The drinkers, townspeople, and adventurers were already too loud and Anne’s sensitive ears didn’t appreciate it.

But before she could get up from her relaxed (tense) position, she heard a hand slam on the table in front of her.

Anne jolted. Her eyes flashed open and she looked up at the towering intruder.

He was tall and imposing, built muscular with spiky brown hair. A bear fur rested on his shoulders and a large sword was sheathed on his hip. A scowl twisted his features and his lips drew back in a snarl as he observed Anne.

Huh… Anne wondered what she did this time. She sure hadn’t pickpocketed the man.

“What the hell are you doing in a place like this, drow?” The man snarled.

Drow. That’s why she had a bad feeling about this. People had called her a drow before, dark elf, apparently pure evil. That had never led to good situations.

“I’m just waiting for a friend, Sir.” Anne raised an eyebrow as she kept a wary eye on the weapon on his back.

“Another drow?” The man continued, only more irritated by the calm response. “So the two of you can destroy this town?!”

Anne couldn’t stop the low growl that exited her throat. “I’m not a drow. I’m a shadow elf.”

“Drow or shadow elf, same thing!”

“Not really.” Anne retorted. “There’s some differences.”

“Well one similarity is that you’re both evil!” The man barked, slamming his hands onto the table in front of her.

Anne just about snapped and stabbed him right then and there. But she wasn’t about to commit murder or assault because of a single man. Maybe he had a bad experience.

But one thing was for certain, he wasn’t going to let up. And Anne’s nerves, both anxiety and fear, had almost reached their limits.

Her heart beat faster but she forced her face into neutral (it didn’t hide the small waiver of fear that crossed her features). “Sir, I haven’t done anything. I’m just trying to mind my own business. Please kindly fuck off before this escalates.”

If anything, the man became angrier. That anger finally snapped him.

“This town is my hometown! And I won’t let evil like you ruin it!”

And that was the exact second his hands lashed out. Already in a bit of a panic, Anne didn’t have time to react. His hands swiftly wrapped around her throat. He picked her up like she was nothing and twisted around to push her up against the wall.

Anne couldn’t breathe. Whether it was the panic attack or the choking she couldn’t tell. Maybe even both. The swarm of panic had her struggling to pull the man’s hands away, forgetting about the dagger on her belt.

All she knew was that something was attacking her neck. Was it cutting? Was it choking? Was it… was it…

And oh god, the comments.

She remembered the rumors about her. How she’ll destroy the kingdom. How she was pure evil. A creature of shadows. Damned by the Gods.

Suddenly, she was back in court, hearing rumors spiral. No wait, she was back in her room, Henry slashing her throat open with a deadly swing. No wait, she was in the inn, being choked to death against the wall.

She was… she was…

She was suddenly breathing.

Anne didn’t feel her body hit the floor, but she did feel the sweet air flood back into her throat. But as quickly as it came, it vanished again as memories still swept her up in a raging storm.

Catalina had been renting a room, just as Anne thought.

When she came back downstairs from checking it over, she found a man twice Anne’s size holding her above him, his hands wrapped viciously around her throat.

Sheer terror took over her. But even more than that was the blinding rage.

Catalina crossed the dead silent and shocked room in what seemed to be a single stride, already unsheathing her blade. The man froze upon feeling a blade behind him, pressed against his throat.

“Put my friend down. Now.” Catalina ordered, a cold fury in her voice that was far more terrifying than any vocal or physical outburst.

“It’s a shadow creature! A demon, the same as a drow!” The man moves to say more but Catalina cut him off.

“SHE is my friend! And I told you to put her down!” Catalina snapped, clearly prepared to go through with her sword’s threat.

Catalina’s glare turned colder upon seeing how the man simply dropped Anne, not even bothering to be gentle.

“Go.” She ordered in a low tone, slowly moving her blade away. “And pray to the gods that you don’t see me again. For I won’t be as kind.”

The man gave her a defiant glare. “Neither will this thing once it betrays you.”

Catalina inhaled deeply. She’s gotta keep her cool. But this racist had far surpassed her limits. “I said go!” She snapped, shoving past him to reach Anne.

The girl had managed to get her choker off and was scratching at her neck. Catalina’s eyes widened at the sight and she was quickly taking hold of Anne’s wrists. Anne tried to pull away with a cry but Catalina kept her hold tight enough to keep Anne in place but loose enough to not hurt.

“Anne, Querida. You’re alright. Your neck is fine.” Catalina whispered. She continued to do so until Anne went slack, not completely calm but enough that Catalina could move her.

“Why don’t we go upstairs, hmm, Querida?” Catalina hummed gently. Anne didn’t reply, but Catalina swore she saw the smallest of nods.

Catalina glanced at all of the still staring people around them before swiftly pulling Anne into her arms, heading straight for their rented room.

Anne couldn’t tell what was going on. She was switching through so many different places and times that she couldn’t tell which one she was actually in.

She didn’t wake up until much later, wrapped in blankets and to Catalina retelling the tale. The rouge’s head was in the paladin’s lap. Catalina gently pulled her fingers through Anne’s hair and made sure that the elf was still breathing and that the choking hadn’t damaged something less visible.

(As she slept, Jane carefully healed her throat, making Anne feel better than ever the next morning.)

Through a raspy voice, Anne carefully spoke to Catalina, saying three simple words before going back to sleep.

“Thank you, Lina.”

“Of course, Querida. That will never happen again while I’m— we’re around.”

Yeah… Anne could believe that.

And true to those words, the next time someone tried something like that, the queens were by her side in seconds. One or two would steer her away (usually, Anne would be annoyed by something like that, but she couldn’t be as people finally protected her from the harsh phrases) while the others berated and scolded the aggressor.

Occasionally, there was someone with a bad experience, sometimes there was just someone who thought they were better. (The queens noticeably took a calmer stance with one of the two, sometimes it worked sometimes it didn’t)

The queens were also more cautious of the stares Anne received. They all finally seemed to notice exactly what was going on. They would constantly find ways to distract Anne. They couldn’t exactly stop everyone from staring (they tried once) so they took the distracting approach.

And gradually, they noticed Anne becoming less anxious, more of her personality shining through as she messed with everyone while simultaneously being nearly as wise as Cathy.

~~||~~||~~

Touch reassured Anne that she was back in reality.

Sometimes, holding onto her dagger’s handle helped, but human contact worked far better. It was warm and comforting, unlike the cold of the curse.

Which was why she adored contact and cuddles with her fellow queens. After so long being unable to touch them, the people she trusted explicitly, it was one of the greatest comforts Anne ever had.

But at the same time, Anne’s anxiety decided to make a reappearance

What if she seemed too clingy? She didn’t want to seem clingy.

What if they realized just how clingy and how much of a burden she really was? She would be tossed aside again, like nothing just like how Henry did with one slice and one spell. She couldn’t handle that.

(And what if she got attached and something happened? Anne didn’t think she could live if that happened. She already got to the point of wanting death while being a shadow, she didn’t want to reach that point again.)

So she held herself back, tried not to seem desperate or longing as she let the others come to her first. And when they did, she took in as much of the contact as she could.

They gave her contact already! The occasional hugs, arms around her shoulders, the works. She was fine with what she had (that anxiety of really being back in the shadows decidedly said otherwise).

So Anne wouldn’t push, she was fine.

But Cathy was clever. She was the one who realized that something was up.

She noticed that way Anne tried to linger in hugs and arms around her shoulders. The way Anne never asked but always savored every second of contact with another member of their party. Just how comfortable Anne seemed when she was touching another person she trusted.

Cathy noticed just how much Anne wanted to ask for more contact but never did.

So, after telling Kat of her plan (Cathy knew Kat probably wouldn’t be mad if she didn’t know, but Cathy wanted to make certain) Cathy began her plan. An experiment, she supposed.

She would hug Anne more than usual, press their arms together as they walked, and more small touches.

Anne couldn’t stop the confusion at the gestures.

Why was Cathy being so cuddly with her all of the sudden? Didn’t she have a girlfriend to cuddle with?

(Faintly, Anne wondered if Cathy was trying to get with her, but that was impossible. She knew Cathy would never cheat on Kat, washing that thought and option away before it even registered.)

But the green rogue sure wasn’t going to deny the touch.

They had been walking down a dirt road, the others ahead of them. Cathy was walking directly beside Anne, letting their arms touch.

“Why are you doing this?” Anne finally asked.

“Doing what?” Cathy asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Suddenly being so touchy with me.” Anne squinted at Cathy.

“Can I not just want to have contact with a friend?” Cathy tilted her head.

“You can! It’s just…” Anne paused. “Why?”

Cathy watched her for a moment before gently taking Anne’s hand, continuing to walk. “I noticed that you always look longing. Like you want the contact but you’re too scared to ask.”

Anne felt that familiar self-loathing rear its head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’m doing just fine, hug or no hug!”

“Anne, you know you can just ask for a hug, yes?”

Anne went silent, thinking of a comeback. How was she supposed to respond to that?

“Anne, none of us blame you for wanting touch.” Cathy’s expression softened as she realized something. “It’s because of the shadows, isn’t it?”

Anne’s mouth felt dry. That was the reason, but she had never heard it vocalized before. “I… yeah. It helps me know I’m still here. That I’m not…”

“Then we would give you that comfort.” Cathy told her, determination tinting her voice. “But… why are you so scared to ask us?”

Anne looked anywhere but Cathy now. She wasn’t quite sure she wanted to voice it. But… “I don’t want to be too clingy.”

“Clingy?” Cathy paused for a moment, frowning. “Anne, you wouldn’t be too clingy at all.”

“Yeah I would!” Anne huffed, looking back to the wizard. “You guys already went through a lot to free me from the spell and trying to help me readjust. Why should I hold you guys down further with my clinginess?”

“Hold us down—?” Cathy cut herself off. “Anne, you aren’t holding us down at all. And comfort? If it makes you feel better, then I consider that part of readjusting.”

Neither spoke for a moment, watching the others in front of them walk and talk.

“Do you remember when Kat and I got together? And I was worrying that I was failing you?”

Anne’s gaze shot to Cathy immediately. “You never failed me, Somnolente. Not for a single second.”

“Then if I haven’t failed you all, why would you be a burden?” Cathy asked, tilting her head and rubbing her thumb over Anne’s hand and the knots in her staff.

Anne’s face dropped and she tensed. “That’s different, Cathy.”

“Is it really? I was scared that you would all see how weak I was, that I wouldn’t be needed on the quest. You’re scared that you’ll be causing us trouble. And if I have it right, I think you’re also scared that we’ll abandon you.”

Anne froze in her tracks, causing Cathy to stop as well. They stared at each other for a moment and Cathy knew she had gotten it right. There was probably more to it than that, but it was something.

“Are you two alright?” They heard Anna call from ahead. The two stood for a second longer before walking again.

“We’re fine! Just talking about something!” Cathy called back. The other queens were placated and everyone continued their walk.

The two were silent as they walked until Cathy spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “Henry?”

Anne let out a pained, bitter chuckle. “The main cause.”

Something in Cathy’s expression darkened and she wrapped her arms around Anne’s arm, effectively hugging it instead of holding it as they walked.

“Cathy, I swear I’m fine—!”

“Don’t.” Cathy’s tone stopped Anne in her tracks. “I’ve done that too many times to know how much it hurts. You hide it and it only grows until it’s practically killing you.”

Anne didn’t pull away from Cathy’s grip and she didn’t stop walking either. But a distant look had come into her eyes.

“Please talk to me.” Cathy’s grip tightened slightly. “It’s anything but a burden.”

“I want… to be held and be able to touch you guys… it’s comforting, shows me that I’m here. But I’m worried you’ll get annoyed and leave me.” Anne finally confessed, slowly, as if she was processing the words herself.

“Thank you for telling me a bit more. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.” Cathy told her, knowing that sometimes, it could be uncomfortable to finally get your pain and thoughts out there.

Cathy and Anne fell into silence, both pondering what they needed to do next. Cathy thought of what kind of advice she could give. Anne thought of how this could go, good or bad.

“You were unable to feel and touch for years.” Cathy continued the conversation, sensing that Anne wasn’t going to. “It’s natural that touch would be a comfort.”

Anne inhaled through her teeth. “Yeah but I’ll be fine without it!” She tried to give Cathy a comforting smile.

The wizard didn’t buy it. “And why do you think we wouldn’t give you the comfort you need?”

Anne paused. Why did she think that? The others had proved they would be there for her… was it the abandonment issue?

“I don’t…” Anne trailed off. Cathy nodded her head and quickly went to the next point.

“Can we please talk to the others? Continue this then and tell them what’s going on?” Cathy asked cautiously. “You shouldn’t have to be so scared to ask for contact. We can figure some things out.”

Anne debated it for a moment. Was she willing to be that vulnerable? But…

“Alright… but you’ll be there?”

“You’re stuck with me. Just like back then.”

They did talk with the others. Anne didn’t tell them everything. Not by a long shot. But the basics actually seemed to be all that was necessary. (Fear of what she would do if she became attached and lost them, and much more that Anne still was trying to sort through herself. That was everything she kept to herself.)

The other queens listened to her worry about being too clingy and after that, they touched her more. Hugs, pats on the shoulders, they let her be clingy. They didn’t seem to mind (and Anne was still slightly stumped. She wasn’t being too much?).

The others always checked before touching Anne too, respecting her boundaries. If anything, Anne was even more comforted by that. It wasn’t a forced comfort, they genuinely made sure she wanted it.

And most of the time, Anne did.

Touch and feeling became familiar again and Anne eventually began going to the others instead of them just going to her. The feeling of being a burden faded, it never truly vanished, but it was gone enough for her to feel more comfortable.

It felt nice.

~~||~~||~~

Ever since Anne had been freed, she had noticeably gotten closer with her cousin.  
The two became a pair, usually seen together. They got to know each other better as cousins, maybe even sisters. They even began calling themselves the ‘beheaded cousins’ making light of the identical scars over their necks.

They helped each other with said scars. Phantom pains and memories, they were usually the first to help each other, the other queens close behind.

That included sleep.

And Anne hasn’t been sleeping, that was rather obvious. The dark circles under her eyes and the hidden yawns were the most obvious signs.

But the others were happy to see that Anne had fallen asleep, curled up under a tree that night.

And Kat was happy that she herself hadn’t had a nightmare. No men crept at the corners of her dreams, pressing up against her with lust.

But soon, she was snapped awake by an outside force.

Kat blinked through the darkness, searching for the source of a whimpering noise. No one else was awake, but Kat spotted Anne still under the tree, squirming. She was the source of the noise.

Kat crept over quickly. Anne was sweating, thrashing, and eyes clenched tight in fear.

It was right when Kat reached Anne that the shadow elf snapped away herself. She shot up in a sitting defensive position, dagger pulled from her belt. Her eyes were wild and they locked into Kat. The dagger was swiftly pointed in Kat’s direction and she moved back slightly, not willing to dare Anne to stab her.

“Annie, it’s okay! It’s okay… you’re safe now.” Kat repeated the words that had been told to her so many times.

It took Anne a moment to recognize her through the night’s darkness. But she did and the dagger slowly lowered, eventually finding its place back on Anne’s belt.

Kat didn’t even ask anything before Anne spoke up.

“He killed me… I’m not dead, right?” Anne muttered, one hand on her throat.

“You’re alive, Annie… you’re alive and safe.” Kat’s gaze softened as she heard that. “Henry… he cut you too.” It wasn’t a question, Kat knew what most likely happened the entire time.

“He cut open my throat. Just like he did to you.” Anne muttered. But then the mutter became a fast paced rant. “I still remember it so clearly! He was in the doorway, I froze— I fucking froze before going for my dagger! He cut my neck, Chaton! He cut my neck and was leaning over me, touching my cheek and saying something… then… then—!”

“Annie! Breathe… breathe with me…” Kat stopped her, getting Anne to match her breathing.

There were several long minutes of silence, Both calming down. Kat was just as shaken up upon hearing how Anne got the identical scar. Anne curled into Kat’s side, the bard returning the hug.

Then, Anne rasped slowly.

“Y’know… this was one of the few times I’ve slept.”

Kat’s gaze shot down to her, alarmed. “What?”

Anne let out a bitter laugh. “That’s right. I usually can’t sleep at all. I guess I just got so used to not being able to sleep and being fine. And when I do sleep, I get nightmares. That doesn’t help.”

Kat didn’t know how to react to that. Anne hasn’t been sleeping? And the reasoning… Kat found that to be the most logical reason. Your mind gets so used to not sleeping that your mind doesn’t want to anymore.

It didn’t take long for Kat to gain an idea. It always put the other queens to sleep, why wouldn’t it work for Anne?

“Do you want me to play some music?”

Anne’s face twisted into confusion. “What?”

“Music. Maybe it can help you sleep.” Kat explained.

“I don’t know if it would work, Chaton.” Anne placed a grin on her face. But Kat could see just how tired it was. “But thanks…”

“Nuh-uh.” Kat quickly became stubborn. “How are you going to fight with zero sleep? Anne, I’ve seen you falling asleep where you stand on some days.”

“I’m fine, Kat—!” Anne pulled away slightly.

“Please…” Kat pleaded softly, stopping Anne in her tracks. “I just want to help you, Annie. Like you’ve done for me.”

Anne stared blankly for a moment. Her mouth opened and closed, as if she was trying to find words. Finally, her shoulders relaxed in defeat. “Alright…”

Anne still tried to resist slightly, even after her agreement. But soon, Kat got the older elf back next to her.

Kat gently guided Anne’s head down to rest on her lap. Kat was still leaning against the tree, Anne curled into a ball with her head on the elf’s lap.

Anne glanced up at Kat. A frown was on her face. “I don’t want to be a bother, Chaton.”

“Shhh… I want to do this for you.” Kat soothed, stopping that train of thought. “I don’t care if I have to do it every night or for just tonight. I’ll do it however many nights you need. I love to play my music, and if it helps you get some sleep then I’ll play whatever melody you need.”

Anne chuckled, mostly placated. “We don’t even know if it will work yet.”

“Then let’s find out.”

There was no more room for Anne to argue as Kat pulled out the flute. She began to play a soft melody. Anne wondered if it was a minor sleep spell. Anne didn’t think she would complain if it was.

She was still frustrated with herself, but she couldn't deny that she liked being cared for like this. And well… she was running on empty. Days of no sleep. And sleep sounded so nice...

Her eyes slipped closed, sweet sleep finally consuming her.

Kat didn’t stop playing until she fully finished the song. Upon finishing she sat her flute to the side and gently began to play with Anne’s hair and scratch at the shadow elf’s head. She smiled fondly at her cousin.

Kat had a feeling Anne would try to resist this little sleep aid for a while. But Kat didn’t mind. It took a while for Kat herself to get used to being cared for like this too. To allow herself to accept the others help with the once rampant nightmares (occasionally, they make a bold reappearance).

Kat didn’t know if Anne was trying to rescue her pride or didn’t want to be a burden. Maybe both.

But she already had her small ways to help the others. It was time she had a way to help Anne.

With that thought, Kat drifted to sleep. She could think things through more in the morning.

The other queens found the two in that same position. They asked, of course. Their curiosity being clear. Kat was the one who explained for an embarrassed Anne. It took a little longer for Kat to convince Anne that night.

Slowly, Anne began to get less frustrated with how much she relied on Kat for sleep. She was finally able to get the rest, that almost hyper energy returning to her during the day.

Anne wanted to return the favor.

And she got the opportunity when the group was in a bar one day. And it wasn’t merely just returning the favor.

The six queens were relaxing and enjoying drinks. They hadn’t drunk much yet at all, only a single drink for each of them (although, Anne still hadn’t finished her first, something that made the shadow elf rather grumpy). And it was Kat who got up to go get refills for everyone.

The drinks were ordered quickly, the already overworked bartender stepping away to make them. Kat settled against the bar, content to wait for the minute it would take.

But she froze upon feeling a hand rest on her back.

Kat knew the other queens. She made a point to remember their safe touches. (And they always made sure Kat could see them before they made any sort of contact, not seeing them and the familiar simple question in their eyes was a big alarm bell.)

This was not one of the queens.

Her head swiveled and she froze upon seeing a man stare back at her. He was her height and wore rather dark clothing. A large scar blinded one of his eyes and his teeth were crooked. Flushed cheeks signified that he was one of the more drunk bar patrons.

He gave her a smile that Kat didn’t think would be charming even without the crooked teeth.

“Hello there, lovely.”

Kat swore she tensed even further at the nickname. That was one of Mannox’s favorites.

Kat tried to snap away from him, eyes narrowed in what she hoped to be a threatening stare. But the man simply followed, pinning her fully against the bar.

No one around her seemed to notice her expression of sheer terror accompanied by rapidly draining anger. The fear washed that fury away to the corner of her mind.

“And an elf too! My dear, you’re simply perfect! Pure beauty.” The man practically purred.

His hands began to move up her shirt, touching her skin. Kat quickly found herself hyperventilating.

Kat just wanted to be wrapped in Cathy’s arms, the wizard reassuring that she loved her for more than her looks. She wanted to be talking with Anna, the two talking about anything and everything. She wanted to curl up with Jane, where it was safe and quiet as the woman completed some activity. She wanted to just be with Catalina, the paladin’s strong and steady presence rescuing her from the memories.

She wanted Anne.

The shadow elf with the same damn neck scar and was one to the few related to her by blood that didn’t try to destroy her. The woman who Kat would sing to sleep and related to Kat through the haunting nightmares (one of the topics being very much the same). The one who, now that she was freed, always made time to comfort and look after Kat, making up for lost time with all the queens after being unable to be seen and touched for so long.

Kat just wanted to be safe. Safe and actually loved for her instead of her body and the pleasure.

(She had gotten that long before, months ago during this journey, even if it took a long time for her to realize that she actually had. But in her panicked mind, she wanted that safety more than ever.)

The four (five) men’s voices all swirled in her ears, soft and cooing or hard and demanding. She squeezed her eyes shut, frozen in her spot.

She wanted to pull her flute out and fight back, but she couldn’t, frozen in the all too familiar fear and distress. Move! Move dammit!

But she couldn’t.

That was the exact second that the man was grabbed by the back of his shirt. His arms flailed, pulling away from Kat.

He let out a cry as he was picked up and thrown to the side, hitting a closeby table and sending food and drinks flying.

Everyone in the bar stopped and stared, including the other four queens. It took them a moment to realize Kat’s position and that it was Anne who launched the man. The second they did, they were by their side, dealing with the man.

While they went towards the man, Anne turned to Kat. Cathy almost joined her, but clearly noted that Anne had it handled.

So she joined Anna and Catalina in glaring and threatening the cowering man. Jane half joined them and half performed crowd control, getting everyone to go back to what they were doing.

Kat was still in and out of reality. The only thing she could focus on was the feeling of wandering hands and whispered praises that just weren’t true.

She wanted them gone!

“Chaton!” Kat’s head snapped up at the familiar nickname. One that none of the men ever used. (Pet, kitten, baby, lovely. She hated all of them.)

Kat’s hands stopped where they had unconsciously began to scratch at her thighs. The scratching stopped, but Kat continued to rub at them, the lingering feeling of being touched still being present. (It was all over her, itching like ants. But it was the most pressing at her thighs, where they lingered in their lust for her.)

It was Anne who spoke, the shadow elf watching her closely and meeting her eyes. Anne softened with relief upon noticing that she had captured Kat’s focus.

“Can I hold your hands, Chaton?” Anne asked gently.

Kat flinched back, as if she could magically gain Anne’s ability to vanish into the room’s shadows. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing would come out.

Kat always hated when she got like this. Unable to speak and only cower in fear. She loved the confidence she had gained since her escape. But when she got like this, all of it left, leaving her stranded in fear.

She wanted to be strong and brave, actually able to use her skills to protect herself from this. Like the others. They weren’t perfect either, Kat knew that well. And in the back of her mind she always knew, and later would comfort herself, with the fact that she couldn’t help it. Just like how the others couldn’t help their own fears and panics.

But that anger and frustration with herself was pushed to the back of her mind again by two things. The still present feeling of the four men and Anne kneeling in front of her.

She needed to calm down. She was safe. But she just couldn’t.

“That’s perfectly fine. Everything’s on your terms, Chaton.” Anne whispered, not moving any closer. “I’m not them. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to, okay?”

Anne repeated it several times. She didn’t say that ‘it was okay.’ Both of them knew it wasn’t. But she constantly told Kat that she was safe now along with the fact that Kat had choices with her.

It happened every rare time that something like this happened with another queen calming her down. Even after the ever looming nightmares they did something like this.

And maybe it was the constant reassurance. Maybe it was the fact that she was protected by them, and she protected them in turn. Maybe it was just because it was the queens. Because it was Anne.

But Kat found herself launching forward to wrap her arms around Anne.

(Later, after escaping away to a room, Kat would be gently transferred to Cathy after asking if it was okay. But Kat never let go of Anne’s hand, even after she was safe in her girlfriend’s arms.)

Kat would guard Anne’s sleep. Help her sleep after years of constantly being awake, help her fight off the demons.

And Kat was safe in the knowledge that Anne (and all of them) would chase away her own demons in return, be it physically or mentally.

~~||~~||~~

Anne didn’t know what caused it.

But something caused her to panic and her anxiety to go haywire. Anxiety over what? Everything.

Henry, the shadows, the danger. It was if her anxiety over everything crushed her at once. And Anne still didn’t know what caused it.

She barely even registered that she had run off, leaving the others confused and worried in the forest clearing behind her.

“Anne!” They all tried to call her back but Anne was already gone.

“What just happened?!” It was Anna who asked.

“I don’t know… did we say something that caused a memory?” Cathy asked, messing worriedly with her staff.

“We need to go after her! What if something happens?” Kat spoke up, holding onto Cathy's sleeve.

Everyone nodded and four began to make their way towards the direction Anne had gone.

“Wait!”

Everyone paused and looked back to Jane. The cleric continued. “Not all of us should go. Only one, we don’t want to overwhelm her. So I’ll go.”

Anna gently took her hand. “Are you sure?”

Jane nodded with a determined smile. “I’m sure. I know how it feels.”

With that, Jane separated, following Anne’s path into the forest. She didn’t want to leave her alone longer than she had to.

Jane knew what anxiety like that felt like. Anna always had to calm her down, occasionally the others did as well. Even Anne had helped her during her time as a shadow.

Jane’s anxiety was still a presence in her life. Being thrown over a cliff for angering your husband who had a tendency to yell at and verbally abuse you didn’t help your anxiety.

Jane didn’t want Anne to be alone with that.

Jane found Anne curled up against a tree, trembling. She was leaning back against it, struggling to breathe and eyes closed shut.

Jane was by her side in seconds, kneeling in front of her. “Anne, love, I need you to breathe with me, alright? Breathe with me…”

It took a few moments for Anne to start following Jane’s breathing. But the cleric felt relief as Anne began to follow the in and out motion.

“Are you alright?” Jane asked in a murmur.

“Sorry…” Anne wheezed out, still not completely calm.

“No, don’t apologize! This isn’t your fault…” Jane reassured.

“I… I don’t know what… what happened.” Anne mumbled. “I just…” Anne cut herself off, gaze staying on the forest floor.

Jane paused for a second.

“You’re anxious when you go back in the shadows, aren’t you?” 

“Y… yeah. But it… but it feels comforting at the same time… I don’t… I don’t…” Anne wheezed out, trying to explain. But she couldn’t. For one, it was hard to speak. And two, she didn’t quite get it herself.

“It’s alright, Anne. You don’t have to explain anything to me. But right now I need you to focus on breathing, alright?” Jane soothed, taking the girl into her arms. She made sure that Anne was capable of moving if she needed to. “Try to focus on my heartbeat, alright?”

Anne curled into the embrace and went silent. Her gasped breathes faded to quiet breathes as she did as Jane asked. Her eyes closed as she listened to the steady heartbeat.

Jane rubbed Anne’s back in small circles. “Do you want to talk about it? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Anne hesitated for only a moment. Then, everything seemed to flood out.

Jane listened patiently through it all.

She kept Anne curled against her chest, letting her cousin rant and cry about all of it.

“But most of all I didn’t have anxiety like this before everything. Yeah, I had some because of my father, but that was it! So why am I freaking out now?!” Anne’s hands curled into fists, her nails breaking the skin on the palm of her hand and causing blood to smear.

Jane gently took one of Anne’s hands and rubbed the knuckle. Anne relaxed under the feeling, but her frustration was still clear.

“Annie, this anxiety doesn’t make you any weaker.” Jane murmured. “Does my anxiety make me weaker?”

“Not at all! You’re so strong…” Anne protested, deflating towards the end.

“And so are you.” Jane sighed, adjusting slightly. “Love, what you’ve been through… anxiety is rather natural, I would say.”

Anne couldn’t really argue with that. “I just wish I didn’t freak out over simple shit...”

“It isn’t simple, Annie.” Jane frowned as Anne looked away. She gently tapped Anne’s chin, getting the woman to look back at her. “Everyone, you included, has helped each other with anxieties. Our fears, trauma, and pain.” Jane met Anne’s eyes. “And now, we’ll help you too. You aren’t alone anymore.”

Anne was quiet for a moment. Then, she released a held breath and leaned against Jane fully again.

Jane wrapped her arms around her again and the two sat together. They knew that they had to return to the others, but for now they sat in the serene wildlife.

“Can you teach me?” Anne asked eventually. “How to calm myself?”

Jane brushed Anne’s hair behind the elf’s pointed ear. “Of course I can, love. The same thing doesn’t work for everyone. But I’m sure we can find something.”

Anne hummed. “Touch helps sometimes. When it’s the shadows I’m anxious about. Helps me know I’m here. But not with… with memories of Henry.”

Jane couldn’t hold back the small chuckle. The group already knew how clingy Anne could be ever since they had that talk. It was far from a bad clingy, they were happy to comfort their friend how she needed to be. And Jane would continue doing that. The information that it did the opposite of help with memories of Henry was useful.

“Alright, that’s a good thing to know.” Jane replied. “Do you want to discuss this with the others? I bet they’re waiting for us.”

“Hmmm, yeah.” Anne hummed, but she simply snuggled further into Jane. “But can we stay here for a moment? You’re warm, Mére.”

Jane blinked, but chuckled, staying where she was. “Mére?”

“Means mother.” Anne explained, but glanced up a little nervously. “Is that alright?”

Jane wasn’t quite sure she had ever seen the rouge that nervous. Anxious, yes. Shy? Not really. Anne always had a certain energy to her.

“I like it.” Jane replied with a chuckle. “Fairly certain you’re older, though.”

Anne tittered. “Doesn’t matter. You still have the mom energy.”

“You’re a mom too, love.”

“Yeah. You just show the mom energy more.”

“Well then, with the mom energy I’ll tell you that if you ever need anything, anxiety, fear, anything at all. You can always come to me or the others.”

“Yeah… And I know you prefer Anna. But if you need anything like that too, then I’ll be around.”

~~||~~||~~

The thud of an axe hitting the floor echoed through the plains, quickly followed by sounds of other fighting.

Catalina and Cathy were off dueling to one side, Catalina trying to get close while Cathy kept her distance. Jane and Kat were in another spot, in a similar position.

And Anne and Anna were having their own duel.

Anne let out a muffled curse as she stumbled slightly from her leap. She was much better with movements than she had been, but she was still adjusting to big moves.

As Anna came rushing towards her again, Anne jumped over the sideways swipe, managing to kick Anna in the back of the head.

The barbarian grunted at the hit, spinning on her heel and using her axe’s momentum to hit Anne with the blunt side. The shadow elf yelped at the strong hit, sure to leave at least a bruise, dropping her dagger. She used the proximity to leap at Anna, moving to sit on her shoulders and wrap her arms and legs around the human’s head.

Anna stumbled at the unexpected way of attack and dropped her axe. She reached up and managed to grab Anne’s wrists. From there, she easily flipped the rouge from her shoulders to the floor, pinning her down as she tried to scramble back up.

Anne struggled to escape Anna’s grip for several moments, grumbling angrily under her breath.

Anna let out a laugh. “Do you yield?” She asked her struggling companion.

Anne fought for another second before giving up with a small growl. “I yield.” She spoke with a sigh.

Anna let her up after that, both grabbing their weapons and taking a small break.

“That was a good fight, Anne! I didn’t expect you to literally climb me.” Anna commented with a snort of laughter.

“That’s why it’s a good tactic, no one expects it.” Anne snickered. Then she sighed. “At least I lasted longer this time.”

“You’re doing just fine Anne.” Anna told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Give yourself some time.”

Anne rolled her shoulder. “Yeah, yeah.” Her eyes wandered to Catalina again. She didn’t bother to stop it, having long accepted her pining.

“Everyone’s been down lately.” Anna spoke with a frown.

“Hmm?”

“The demons are getting stronger and so are the monsters.” Anna watched the dueling queens closely. “Plus, it’s been so hot in this area and we haven’t had a chance to properly rest for a day or two.”

“Yeah, I think we’re all starting to lose our heads a bit.” Anne noted.

It was true. The combination of the items Anna had listed was starting to bear down on everyone. They were becoming more snappy with each other, the heat and lack of good sleep irritating everyone.

The ever looking threat of Henry and what he could be planning or doing didn’t help matters either.

“I just wish I knew a good way to cheer everyone up.” Anna ran a hand through her hair. “But it’s not like I can make the sun calm down or get the monsters to stop attacking for a few days.”

Her eyes specifically trailed to Jane. Her wife’s temper was well known, it simply didn’t appear often. Jane was capable of keeping herself calm unless something really ticked her off. The heat and pressure had shortened Jane’s temper and Anna was on the receiving end of several snaps already. She knew Jane didn’t mean it, she just wanted her wife to be able to relax, calm herself again. (Jane never liked the aftermath of her temper and usually spiraled afterwards.)

Anne thought for a moment. She would love a way to cheer everyone up as well. But what could they do?

That was when Anne remembered years ago. When Anne would play the rare pranks that cheered people up (usually following after a moment of anger).

A grin spread across Anne’s face as she gained an idea. “And if I know of a way to cheer them up?”

“That grin tells me it will probably make them mad instead.” Anna said with a raised eyebrow.

“Eh, maybe for a second. Better than everyone moping, yeah?” Anne asked, nudging Anna.

Anna nodded, eyes closed as if that was the wisest thing she had ever heard. “Ah yes, you have a point!”

It was several minutes later that they were back at camp, having given their excuses to the others.

Anne had come up with a prank. It was a rather complicated one but Anne and Anna quickly began setting it up.

Ane began to hum a melody as she tied ropes and Anna chuckled at the noise as she lifted heavy objects and did stuff on the ground while Anne messed around up in the tree.

(Later on, they would get Kat to join them in their pranks. Their girlfriends always found themselves laughing at whatever antics the three got up to.)

They both finished quickly (or, faster than they thought they would) and stepped back to observe their work. They couldn’t stop their giggles as they hid a little bit away, waiting for the prank to be tripped.

“That prank was genius! How did you think of that? It was pretty complicated.” Anna asked, looking to her shorter companion.

“Nah, it’s pretty simply compared to stuff I’ve done before!” Anne told Anna with a laugh.

“No way!” Anna gaped for a moment before it became a grin.

“Yep!” Anne gave her a wink. “I used to be a master with pranks! I’ll just have to get back to it, yeah?”

“My friend, I will help with any prank.” Anna grinned. “Well, as long as it isn’t dangerous, mentally or physically.”

Anne nodded in agreement. “Same here.”

There was a moment of silence.

“How long do you think it will be until they find it?”

A loud bang was heard right after that question. Anne and Anna both glanced at each other with identical smirks. A loud curse was heard after that and both bolted from the scene, beginning to laugh together.

“ANNE! ANNA!”

(Later, everyone laughed, the prank and following chaos had been joyful once the beginning anger was gone.)

~~||~~||~~

“This way!”

The whispered shout beckoned the other members of the group forward and everyone found themselves in front of a locked door.

A close ally of Henry’s was in this town, living in a large house, almost a mansion. The queens decided to take the opportunity and look to see if Henry had sent him any letters of his plans. Truthfully, they didn’t think he would but maybe the search would be worth it.

Which is why they were currently breaking into that large house.

“Shit, locked!” Kat huffed when the door didn’t open.

“Do we turn back?” Anna asked, but her hand was reaching for her axe. “Or do we break it down?”

Anne snickered, moving past everyone to the lock. “Or, we pick option three and use a lockpick.”

Everyone brightened. None of them knew how to lockpick. God, they never really realized how much they could have used Anne’s skills until now.

“Can you do it?” Jane asked. She wasn’t quite sure if she had ever seen Anne lockpick something since her curse had been broken.

“Let’s find out!”

And with that, Anne began to work on the lock. She muttered to herself as she worked at it, listening to the clicks and moving through memory and muscle movement.

But she couldn’t remember everything. In the past, it didn’t take long at all for her to do this. Here, it took a long minute or two, maybe a few more minutes.

But that didn’t stop the awe the other queens had as the door finally unlocked with a click.

“Nice job, Anne!”

“That was incredible!”

Anne shook out her hand with a contemplative and sprightly frustrated look on her face. “Eh, I was rusty. Could’ve done it faster.”

“You call that rusty?!” Kat gaped. “That was amazing, Anne!”

“Yeah… hmm, guess I’ll just have to work on it.” Anne shrugged. But that didn’t wipe away the troubled expression hidden by the night around them.

She had gotten down to seconds before the curse. And now, she was back to the earlier stages of her lockpicking, having to take a few minutes. And that fact hurt.

But the others' reassurance and amazement over her skills managed to pull Anne back up. Like she said, she’d just have to work on it.

(Didn’t stop the small hurt when it took just as long each to get through some other locks.)

Anne showed off her skills again through pickpocketing.

And it was on a complete stranger. Who Anne seemed deserved it because he insulted a queen.

They had reached the last town before the one where they would meet Catalina’s friend. They were all in rather high spirits due to this fact and were simply wandering around town, doing whatever caught their eye.

They had been minding their business when a man muttered something under his breath, loud enough for even the humans of the group to hear almost perfectly.

Honestly? Most of the group wouldn’t even remember the insult later on. They just knew it was directed right at Jane. (What she did to warrant an insult none of the others knew either)

Needless to say, everyone nearly lost it.

With one glance from the cleric in question, everyone managed to restrain themselves from fighting.

But Anne gained another idea she couldn’t resist. Hmm, if he was such an asshole then maybe he wouldn’t miss his coins.

As they passed the man, Anne brushed past him, barely restraining herself from hitting his shoulder. As they passed, Anne carefully snatched the pouch of coins on his waist.

He didn’t notice until much later when he reached his destination, where he would begin to swear and yell angrily.

After the man was out of sight and earshot, Anne began to whistle innocently to gain the others attention. She felt their eyes on her as she opened the pouch and began to shift through the coins, counting them.

“Anne, what did you do?” Jane asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Well, what he said wasn’t very nice, was it? So I just took a bit of payment!”

Everyone stared. There was a beat as they blinked, processing what exactly she was telling them. They all realized around the same time, eyes widening.

“You pickpocketed him?!” Cathy was the one who voiced everyone’s question.

Anne gave her a sly wink, bringing her free finger up to make a ‘quiet’ motion. “Bingo.”

Another beat, and then the entire group broke into chatter. It earned stares from people around them but despite how they wanted to keep a low profile, no one could find it in themselves to care.

“... we’re giving it to the homeless.”

“Can you teach me how to do that?!”

“Anne Boleyn, if you teach her to pickpocket you will keep it to the minimum!”

“Can’t say I’m surprised! Anne clearly has amazing skills, and this just proved it.”

“That would be a useful skill if we needed to get a document or key off someone… can you take more than one item?”

Anne pretended not to hear that last question, but she definitely did. Before the curse, yeah. She could practically rob people blind! Now she could only take one or two small items.

Trust her, she tried it.

~~||~~||~~

“Merde!”

Anne cursed some more under her breath as she shook out her hand. The metal of her handmade lockpick had jabbed her hand again.

She glanced up. Luckily, none of the others had heard her.

They thought she was a really skilled rouge, and Anne didn’t want to shatter that illusion. She wasn’t as skilled as they thought she was. She was struggling.

And right now, that struggle was focused on making her own lockpicks from the many materials she had on hand in preparation for this.

Anne had the lockpicks she bought, sure. But she was running out and it would be a while before the next town. And what if she needed to make one on the fly? It would have to be quickly and of course she needed to actually be capable of doing it.

But no matter how hard she tried, it was always a fail. She couldn’t make it fast enough. And even when she took it slow, the pick wouldn’t come out right.

It made Anne want to scream.

In her mind, Anne knew that she just needed to practice. It had been years since she was able to physically do this stuff. She was out of practice and just needed to reteach herself.

But it didn’t stop the stinging frustration and annoyance that came every time she messed up making her own tools or any other rouge skill.

Yeah, sure she was able to do well enough. Good enough for the team, at any rate.

But it wasn’t the speed and ability she wanted to be at. She wanted to be like before the curse, when she could pick a lock in the manner of less than double digit seconds and could take more than just one measly bag of coins at a time.

She wanted to be able to do so much more. Do so much better.

But she just couldn’t.

She couldn’t get this damn lockpick made right. She couldn’t take more than one item from a single person. She couldn’t for the life of her remember the last ingredient for a smoke bomb!

(Anne didn’t need that last item. She could hide in the shadows at will, no matter the anxiety it still gave her. No, she wanted to make it for the others, for when they couldn’t teleport or hide away in time.)

But no matter how hard she worked, it was so difficult for her to get things right. Anne thought herself lucky that the others hadn’t noticed her struggles.

She’d rather them never know.

The positive side of her brain tried to tell her that she just needed to be patient. This wasn’t an overnight thing. She just needs to be diligent and focused and soon enough, she could do just as well as before the curse. She could make the others proud, relieve some of their stress from dealing with her.

But there was the agonizing corner of her brain that always told her that she would never reach that level again. That it had been long enough since her freedom that she should be able to do this stuff (and be less of a burden on the others, Dammit!). She would constantly be a failure to the others.

She would be weak forever.

That mindset appeared more than the positive one. So much that Anne started to believe it more than she did the positive side.

She doesn’t want to be a burden anymore...

Whatever the case, no matter the doubt. Anne would keep practicing non-stop. She would work towards that goal that seemed so far away.

So Anne worked on the lockpick well through the rest of the day’s travel. It always was too flimsy, would break in the lock before it could unlock it. Sometimes it was off-shape or just came out wrong in general. Her frustration beat constantly at the back of her brain.

Anne stayed within the back of the group’s circle, shifting into conversation sometimes and keeping up her familiar energy to avoid suspicion.

She didn’t get the lockpick made right that day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catalina and Anne were falling for each other. Anne had already known that she had fallen for the golden paladin. Catalina was only falling deeper for the green rouge over the past few weeks.
> 
> Of course, near-tragedy is what decides to bring them together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: poison, blood/injuries, fever

It was later in the evening, after Anne had pickpocketed the man (they did in fact give it to a homeless tiefling, who Anne stayed a moment longer to talk to). The sun was casting a nice glow over the town and the queens wanted to do something.

This town was well known for a magical garden it kept. That garden was blessed by the nature goddess itself, and it was even said to be blessed by the love goddess.

And most of the queens thought it was a good spot for a date.

The other two had the same thought, but carefully hid it behind an excuse of simply wanting to sightsee. It didn’t have to be romantic for them… (they wanted it to be)

Anne knew she had a crush on Catalina. She accepted that fact a long time ago and still had that crush (love? Anne didn’t know) on the golden Paladin.

Catalina also had her own crush on the green rogue. It was fairly new, she had only fully realized a few days ago. But Catalina was very certain that her crush had only grown when Anne came back, (just as beautiful as ever) and it had maybe started even before Anne was freed from the curse.

But both of them just knew they would be left alone for this, and they didn’t hate it at all. They were right.

Anna and Jane split off, the married couple vanishing along the bushes and walls of flowers, arm in arm and already having that familiar lovesick grin as they chatted to each other.

Catalina was telling Kat and Cathy to be safe, earning her laughs from the two younger women. Catalina couldn’t hold back her own laugh.

Anne could physically feel herself melt as she listened to the sound and observed her crush.

Fuck, Anne was smitten.

As Cathy and Kat went their own way, Cathy gave her a rather sly wink. Anne could now also feel the heat on her cheeks.

Asshole.

“Shall we?” Catalina was asking, snapping Anne back to attention.

“We shall.” Anne replied with her familiar grin.

They both made their way down the path of flowers, arms and hands brushing against each other. They talked and laughed as they walked, the heat in their faces fading as they took in simply being with each other. (It didn’t stop the small bit of red that spread as their skin brushed)

“I still can’t believe you pickpocketed that man earlier.” Catalina chuckled, shaking her head.

“His fault for insulting my cousin!” Anne snorted, but a smirk tagged at her lips. “Melody deserves it more than he did.”

“Ah, so her name was Melody?” Catalina asked curiously.

“Mhmm! It’s her virtue name! She has a friend named Gentle, so I hope those coins can support them for a while. Maybe get them in a better place.” A serene smile was on Anne’s face, her usual mischief grin pacified with a hope.

“You’re a good person, Anne.” Catalina told her, taking in that smile and committing it to her memory.

“I’m just trying to look out for the little people, Y’know?” Anne shrugged. “Not like I was able to do much as queen. And my dad could have helped others like us. But well… he wasn’t a good person.”

Catalina’s gaze softened as she took in the dejected look on Anne’s face. She opened her mouth to speak, but Anne continued.

The shadow elf glanced up to her taller companion. “He was the one who forced me into a relationship with Henry. He was in it for the power. Not power for me or those being oppressed, but entirely for himself. Hope the gods give him the worst they can.”

“Now? He’ll never hold that power over you again. I’m sorry about everything, Anne.” Catalina told her, taking a gentle hold of Anne’s hand.

“You, of all people, have nothing to apologize for. Henry was the weak one, not you. And besides… I have two things to thank my father for.”

“Oh?”

“If I never got married to Henry, I never would have met any of you or had Elizabeth. My greatest treasures in the realm.”

The two fell into silence, their hearts filling with happiness over Anne’s comment. They just enjoyed each other and the scent and scenery of the flowers around them.

Anne soon got an idea.

Well, she probably wasn’t going to outright confess, but Anne sure as hell could try to flirt. Maybe Cathy would lay off a bit. (Cathy and now Kat and Anna did not in the slightest. Even Jane teased her once the next day.)

So Anne looked at all the flowers around them. Her eyes locked onto bright yellow.

Jonquil flowers.

If Anne remembered right, one meaning could be domestic bliss or also friendship. Another meaning was desire… Perfect. And also the perfect color for the golden queen.

Anne ever so gently reached over as they walked past the wall of yellow flowers and tugged free the most beautiful one she could find, whispering a thanks to the nature goddess under her breath.

“Hey, Lina.”

The golden paladin stopped and turned to her companion at the familiar nickname. She didn’t even get the chance to ask a question before Anne was reaching up and threading the flower’s stem through Catalina’s hair to rest on her ear, the flower perched perfectly in her hair.

“A beautiful golden flower for a beautiful golden queen!” Anne chirped, looking very pleased with herself.

Catalina blushed, her hand reaching up to trail over the flower with the gentlest touch. Catalina was at a loss for words, but noticed a wall of roses behind Anne.

Catalina knew some flower language as well and was swiftly reaching over Anne’s shoulder to find a full bloom rose, free of its thorns.

“Well, the other beautiful lady in the room deserves her own beautiful flower, yes?”

Catalina couldn’t deny that she was delighted by the blush that now dusted Anne’s cheeks in return.

The two of them made their way to a fountain and sat on the edge, flowers still in their hair.

They sat down, they talked, they messed around. They just enjoyed each other’s presence.

(Catalina still enjoyed it, even when Anne decided to lightly splash her with a bit of water. Anne had simply laughed and continued to run her hands through the cool and rippling water as Catalina huffed. That didn’t stop the golden paladin’s smile.)

They sat and talked for what felt like hours until the other queens eventually found them and practically dragged the two back to the inn.

The entire way, the two queens couldn’t get the meaning of the flowers out of their heads. But they chalked it up to simple friendship and compliments.

After all, maybe the other didn’t know the flower language. (Both of them did)

It didn’t stop the giddy feeling both of them felt as they laid those flowers on the fountain’s edge, leaving them for the nature goddess to reclaim, and were taken to warm beds.

It didn’t fade, even as they slept and left the town the next day.

~~||~~||~~

Over the course of the journey, everyone had been dealt a grievous wound at least once.

For example, the time Anna and Kat had been watching each other’s backs. The queens were fighting off a large group of thieves when one had gotten the jump on Kat as both her and Anna had their backs turned.

The large gash his sword made across her back had been horrifying and Kat almost didn’t make it. But she was safe and alive. Anna blamed herself for a while until everyone got her to believe that none of it was her fault.

And the time Anne finally received her own horrible injury, it was possibly even worse.

Because poison just had to be involved.

Things had been pretty routine when it started. They were on that final path to the town where Catalina’s friend was. They had just left the last town the day a few days ago and the next town was several days away, they were sort of at the in between point. It would take a while, but it was the final stretch for this part of the journey (who knew what could happen next, but this alone was a relief), keeping up those good spirits from yesterday.

They expected the monsters and demons. So when the giant snake had lunged out of the trees, they were only surprised by the sudden attack, not the actual appearance.

But it was easy to dodge, everyone splitting and moving to either side of the snake.

The next minute was a flurry of movement. The snake kept trying to lunge for them as everyone dodged and deflected hits. They tried to get their own hits in, working with each other’s abilities and classes.

Anne growled as her hit did nothing, swiftly vanishing into the shadows and reappearing next to Jane before that feeling of being trapped returned.

Anna tried to hit next, but her axe was also ineffective, only making a small crack in the scales.

Cathy was quickly pulling Anna away from the attack. The wizard was mumbling under her breath, trying to think of a spell that would work.

“The scales are too tough! I can pierce it with magic, I just need to actually be able to!” Anna called out over the loud hissing and crashing of the snake’s lunges.

“Well this asshole doesn’t want to be still!” Anne snapped back, dodging yet another strike from the vicious fangs.

“Then we either need a good moment for Anna to strike!” Catalina let out a grunt as she slammed her shield into the snake’s jaw and leapt away from it. “Or find a weak spot!”

“Wait! Kat, can you charm it?!” Jane asked, next to Kat with her rapier in a stance.

Kat’s eyes lit up. “Maybe! If I can charm it and get it still, Anna can take it out!”

After a series of dodges, Kat managed to finally begin playing her flute. The elf played a charming melody, keeping her eyes trained firmly on the snake.

The snake almost lunged for her, but then it paused. And slowly, the giant snake began to sway from side to side, seemingly in a trance.

Everyone let out a breath of relief but didn’t lower their guards. Anna was quickly moving to cleve through the snake, magic working to make her hit break through the tough scales. Jane and Catalina also muttered spells that gave her much smaller boosts, the two not wanting to possibly harm their friend’s body by giving her too much power.

But then there was a scream.

All six queen’s eyes widened and their heads whipped around to see two travelers. The young man and woman were staring wide eyed in terror at the giant snake before spinning on their heels and fleeing.

And just like that, the snake was snapped from the trance.

It’s head angled towards the now fleeing humans, but quickly turned back to closer prey. Kat.

“Shit! Chaton, move!” Anne was crying out, beginning to run towards her cousin. The others were just as panicked, Cathy crying out the elf’s name.

Kat’s eyes widened in a horrified realization, but the snake was so close that she didn’t have time to move, it was already lunging for her. Luckily, Catalina had been near and was quickly defending the both of them with her shield.

The snake’s entire focus was on the two of them now and Catalina continued having to bat away hits with her sword and shield, looking for an opening to cast a spell or to move the both of them out of the way.

Cathy and Jane launched a blast of fire at the snake. Both were trying to call the snake’s attention away from their friends. The snake let out an angry hiss and spun towards the two offenders.

But that meant the tail spun as well.

The tail slammed into Catalina and Kat, sending them falling against the ground. Kat’s flute went spinning across the dirt, landing away from them. Catalina’s shield and sword also went sprawling away.

Catalina’s ears were ringing and in the moment of being disoriented, the snake had spun on them again. It knew it had hit something and turned its back on their now screaming friends. It was lunging for its new prey, and there was only seconds to spare.

Catalina’s eyes flew wide with panic and she could feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins as the world went in slow motion.

Kat was on the floor, scrambling for her flute, but it was too far away. There was no time for Catalina to reach her own weapon, or even to make a prayer to any god. She had to take the hit. Kat didn’t have good armor, Catalina did. Even with that, Catalina knew those sharp fangs were strong enough to pierce through the gold armor plating.

But there was no choice.

Catalina was swiftly and frantically pushing herself to Kat. She pulled the bard up into her arms, away from the flute. A startled gasp and scream escaped Kat’s lips, ringing in Catalina’s ears.

Catalina twisted her back to the beast, pulling Kat tight to her chest. Kat’s scream of her name and the other’s cries of panic rang loud in her ears. Catalina just knew that they didn’t have time to move and she needed to protect Kat.

She waited for the hit. For the fangs to break through her armor. For the sharp pain to sink into her skin.

But it never came.

It was silent as Catalina carefully glanced over her shoulder, only to freeze as she took in the sight.

Anne stood there, arms outstretched and head hunched over. The snake towered behind her, it’s poisonous fangs pulling away from Anne’s shoulder. Blood began to bloom, staining Anne’s green tunic a dark, wet color.

Anne’s pained gaze flickered up to Catalina. “Lina…? ‘M sorry…”

Then, Anne tilted forward and fell, landing face down in the dirt. She didn’t move.

Catalina didn’t hear the scream echo from her lips. Everything was dead silent, passing in a blur as the snake reared back for another strike. On Catalina or Anne, the former didn’t know.

But it didn’t get a chance to. Anna was letting out a scream of unbridled rage as she pushed magic into the swing of her axe. Not even the tough scales could resist the barbarian’s rage, the giant snake decapitated in seconds.

Blood was already pooling under Anne. The snake’s very wide fangs clearly having done a lot of damage to Anne’s practically unarmored form. Catalina could even spot the deep red stained holes on the back of Anne’s shoulder where the fangs on the lower jaw had pierced skin.

Kat tried to scramble from Catalina’s arms, moving to reach her cousin’s side with a panicked cry. But Catalina’s arms tightened around her, keeping her close and refusing to let her leave.

For a moment, Kat almost fell into a panic attack. The feeling of being restrained far too familiar. That mixed with seeing Anne’s injury nearly made Kat spiral.

But then she glanced up at Catalina.

The woman’s face was pale, her eyes filled with a glaze of despondent horror. Kat even swore she saw some guilt. She was holding onto Kat almost unconsciously.

The bard had only seen Catalina even close to this state after a nightmare. She would shut down, try to close herself off. When the other serious injuries happened, Catalina was the one who took charge alongside their actual healer.

But never, had Kat seen Catalina this bad.

Gently, her own panic calming to a more manageable level (it wasn’t gone. This was still terrifying and Kat didn’t know what to do about Anne—), Kat reached up and cupped Catalina’s cheek, getting the woman to look at her.

“Focus on me, Catalina. I need you to focus on me.” Kat whispered, meeting the paladin’s eyes.

This was new. The elf had only ever calmed the others through music. Yes, she gave a calming word or two, but that was usually handled by the others. They used words, Kat used music.

But it was clear Catalina wasn’t going to let go for Kat to reach her flute. So Kat made do (and later, after all the panic was done and over, she would think that she did rather good) with her words, trying to calm Catalina.

Faintly, Kat knew that Anne and Catalina have crushes on each other, maybe even love. Catalina seeing Anne, the elf she had a crush on, take a hit for her and now dying? The shutdown was painfully understandable.

When Catalina’s gaze moved to drift past Kat, back to Anne, Kat quickly redirected her. “Hey, hey. Look at me, focus on me. I need you to focus on me, okay?”

Catalina’s gaze flickered back to her and Kat spotted tears starting to gather in the woman’s eyes.

It took what felt like several long minutes to mostly calm Catalina, when really it was more around only a minute.

“You love her, don’t you?” Kat asked in barely more than a whisper.

Catalina stared blankly for a moment. Then, a small sob escaped her lips. She couldn’t deny it. Not at this point. “I think I do, Gatita. I do and she… she’s dying—!”

Kat was quickly shushing her again, wiping away some tears. “Jane’s looking at her right now. Did I die when that sword hit my back? What about when Cathy got really sick? I… I can’t promise that she’ll live. But I can promise you that none of us will let her go without one hell of a fight.”

Catalina stared for a moment before letting out a shuddered breath and nodding. She began to take deep breaths, working to calm herself. “We need to save her.”

“And we will. But you need to be strong during this, okay? You were strong when we all got hurt. If anything, be stronger here.” Kat told her, finally able to pull out of Catalina’s arms.

The two helped each other stand and they finally, and quickly, made their way over to the others.

Cathy and Anna were next to Anne and Jane. Cathy’s gaze was flickering over to Kat and Catalina so often, keeping a close eye on them. Upon seeing the two mostly calm and making their way over, she relaxed slightly. But only slightly, Anne was still in danger.

In the time Kat had gotten herself and Catalina (mostly) calm and standing, Jane had gotten Anne onto her back, a fabric protecting the back wound from the dirt and the rouge’s upper clothing off, exposing the wound to the air and the group.

Anne cried out as Jane gently touched the bite, jerking away and letting out a pained sob as the jolt of movement burned even worse than the touch did.

Jane was instantly calming her until the rouge settled again. Whimpers and ragged breathing escaped Anne. Jane knew that many giant snakes were venomous. She didn’t know if the wound was causing Anne this much pain or if it was poison. Maybe it was both.

Jane glanced back at the others. She needed someone to hold Anne down while she looked at it. Yes, Jane didn’t feel good about it, but she couldn’t look at it if Anne thrashed in pain by mere touch.

Catalina and Anna were definitely strong enough to do it. But Catalina was already breaking down. Having to pin Anne down would probably shatter the woman.

“Anna, I need you to hold Anne down while I look at the wound.”

Anna paused for a second. “Are you sure?”

Jane sighed, a sad but determined look on her face. “I don’t like it either. But I need to look at the bite. I can’t do it if she moves every time I try to.”

Anna nodded in understanding and crouched down on Anne’s otherside, holding the woman down. Anne struggled for only a second before falling limp, the bite taking away her energy.

Jane began to look over and inspect the wound. She flinched as Anne cried out and thrashed under Anna’s hands but tried to ignore it as she looked over the injury, becoming more and more worried.

“Shit, poison.”

It was a very well known fact among the group that Jane only cussed in extremely stressful situations.

Everyone’s eyes widened with horror. Just the bite alone was serious. But now Anne had poison in her body?

“How do you know?” Cathy had to be sure before they all panicked.

“The fangs left a sort of liquid ring around the wound. That’s some of the poison.” Jane explained, already wiping away said poison, being careful to avoid putting it in the wound as she cleaned the blood as well. Anna let out a worried grunt as Anne pushed against her with a pained wheeze.

“She’s going to die just like that?!” Kat asked, fear edging her voice. She had reassured Catalina so strongly. But never had Jane looked so panicked over a wound. (The cleric’s anxiety was great, but when healing, Jane was in her element.)

“I…” Jane paused. “She is dying... But!” She was quickly continuing before anyone could begin to freak out. “I’ve heard of antidotes existing for giant snake venom. Maybe the next town has some!”

“The next town is days away!” Catalina snapped, looking from Anne to Jane. “Can you not use your magic?”

Tears gathered on the edge of Jane’s eyes. “I wish I could, but my magic can only stall the poison. Keep her alive a little longer.”

Catalina looked to Cathy next, the paladin’s despair noticeable deepening. The wizard shook her head before looking to Jane. “How long do we have?”

“I don’t know for sure… three or four days. Maybe a full week of we’re extremely lucky. The poison is slow acting and it will be very painful.” Jane explained, not looking away from her pained cousin. She had finished wrapping the bandage and now sat by Anne’s side, one hand gently pushing dark locks of hair away from Anne’s forehead.

“We don’t have that kind of time!” Anna was up and now pacing back and forth. “We won’t make it…”

“Don’t say that!” It was Kat who snapped, pulling away from Cathy’s shoulder to give Anna a determined glare. “I can’t… we won’t lose her! We can make it if we move fast!”

Cathy took a deep breath. “This won’t be good. The symptoms will start appearing and we’ll probably have to stop at night. Still… we have to try. Maybe we can make it.” Cathy held Kat just a little tighter. “We got her back once. When Anne herself didn’t think we could. We won’t lose her now. Not without trying.”

Catalina, who had been quiet through everything since her earlier remark, had stepped over to Anne now. Catalina knelt by Anne’s side, taking in the bandaged wound and Anne’s already pained expression. The poison hadn’t been in her system long, but it was clearly already hurting, the bite itself adding majorly to the effect.

Catalina looked about ready to cry. But then, she took a deep breath, her sagged shoulders squaring as her expression turned to sheer determination and she looked up to Jane. “Is she able to be moved?”

Jane frowned for a second before she nodded, carefully slipping Anne’s lightest shirt back over the shadow elf and bundling up the other pieces. “We don’t have any other choice, do we?”

With that, Catalina was picking Anne up, off the dirt in a bridal carry. Jane picked up the discarded clothing and the group was off immediately. Anne squirmed in Catalina’s arms for a second before relaxing with a breath, slumping against the woman.

They didn’t have time to rest from the attack. Anne was dying. And Catalina couldn’t shake the feeling that it was her fault that Anne was dying in her arms.

(Kat had the same thought, but Cathy was able to convince her it wasn’t true. Had it been Anna’s fault when Kat herself had gotten hurt? Then it wasn’t Kat’s fault either. And later, they would convince Catalina of the same thing. Yes, Catalina would feel less guilty, but it didn’t stop the fact that Anne was dying.)

The group went as swiftly as possible. They would only stop for the tiniest of breaks and at night to sleep. Even that wasn’t long.

Anna and Cathy swept any monsters and demons out of the group’s path. Jane constantly checked on Anne, occasionally using a bit of magic to try and help the shadow-elf. Kat never stopped providing music and support for the group, keeping a very close eye and calling breaks when they needed it. Just like during past injuries, everyone’s nerves were frayed and panic was clear. Kat did her best to soothe those nerves, even as she struggled to keep herself together.

No matter that each of them had been in this position before. It was always terrifying.

Catalina refused to let anyone else carry Anne. It didn’t matter how tired the paladin got, she would continue carrying the poisoned and unconscious shadow elf until the others forced her (and themselves) to stop for the night.

It was the day after the attack that the fever dreams started.

Anne’s body saw the poison as a sickness. So her body began to heat up and sweat in a fever. All in an attempt to get the ‘sickness’ out of her body.

It didn’t work, but it also gave her nightmares and hallucinations.

Which became evident after they made camp that night. They had tried to get Anne as comfortable as possible before trying to sleep, Cathy keeping first watch.

But everyone had barely fallen asleep when they heard noises. Anne was sobbing and squirming, her breathing coming out gasped.

Cathy was quickly by her side, abandoning her spot under a tree. She sat next to Anne and pulled the short shadow elf onto her lap, trying to calm her down.

The others were by their sides quickly and looking concerned.

“Is it the poison?” Kat asked carefully.

Anne inhaled sharply and pressed closer to Cathy, her hot skin warming Cathy immediately. Cathy could also feel the sweat that slicked Anne’s grey skin. The wizard frowned at the noticeable fever. Anne always had cold skin, and now it was far from cold.

“Chaud…” the rouge whined, clearly savoring Cathy’s cooler skin.

“She’s got a fever.” Cathy alerted the others. “Probably her body trying to get rid of the poison.”

“Exactly.” Jane agreed, crouching down and looking over their poisoned friend. “She’s not doing good…”

It was that second that Anne fell further into the fever dream, losing the relief of the cool contact. She began mumbling and everyone felt their hearts break as they realized exactly what she was seeing.

“Elizabeth…? Elizabeth wait…”

Everyone shared sad and fearful glances. Anne was getting worse. The poison was starting to course through her veins. They might not make it to the town…

Jane shook her head with a deep breath. “Help me get her more comfortable.”

Catalina spoke up next. “We’ll be leaving at dawn. We can’t waste anymore time.”

Nobody argued as Jane and Kat carefully got their cousin off Cathy and into a more comfortable position, wary of her bandaged shoulder.

Where Anne would usually be nervous to have her choker off, she didn’t fight it as the now damp material was pulled from her skin. It was Kat who kept hold of it, knowing that Anne would want it back the second she got better, so her cousin would keep it safe for her.

Despite how much they tried to make Anne comfortable, that night was still restless. Anne was either squirming and thrashing or mumbling almost frantically in French and english, sometimes even both.

None of the queens got sleep that night.

They continued at dawn, just as planned. Catalina still carried Anne, keeping the trembling, sweating, and simply feverish shadow elf close to the chest.

“Gotta tell Lina.” Anne mumbled at one point, her head not moving from Catalina’s shoulder.

Catalina blinked in surprise, pausing in her step and looking down to the elf. She began walking again, staying a few steps behind everyone else. “I’m right here, Querida. What do you need to tell me?”

Anne moaned in pain for a moment before she murmured again. “Gotta tell her I love her.”

Catalina froze dead in her tracks at that.

Her hands began to shake and for a moment, it seemed she would drop Anne. She turned her head, wide eyed, to look down at Anne’s face. The woman’s eyes were closed in discontent, her face noticeably showing signs of pain.

Anne was still in her fever and poison induced haze. But somehow, Catalina knew she was telling the truth.

And that truth hurt immensely.

In the back of her mind, Catalina realized that Anne had confessed with that beautiful jonquil flower, just as Catalina herself had done with the rose. Anne most likely did in fact know the language of flowers. That realization stung her heart like a thorn had pressed against it.

Both of them confessed and thought the other didn’t mean it. They had lost precious time that they could have spent together before… before…

Catalina shook her head, beginning to walk again.

No. Anne wasn’t going to die. Catalina wouldn’t let her. She was going to make sure Anne healed so they could confess properly. Finally show their love for each other like the others had been able to do.

(That didn’t stop the nagging feeling that Anne wasn’t going to make it.)

Catalina quickly caught up with everyone else, her resolve and determination only deepening alongside the rapid beating of her heart. In any other situation, it would be excitement over the sort-of confession that caused her heart to race. But that was the tiniest reason.

No, it was mostly fear.

Fear that only increased each time Anne shivered and groaned in her arms. Each time she called out to some hallucination or dream or simply went dead silent.

It was the second or third evening when they all realized they weren’t going to make it.

Anne was deteriorating fast and the town was still a good two or three days away, depending on their speed. No wagon was traveling their path to possibly speed up their journey either.

The sun was lowering and everyone was setting up camp, either silent or talking in whispers. Catalina was being talked to by Jane, the cleric worried about Catalina carrying Anne almost all day for two days straight as she had been doing. Kat was shakily playing music by Anne’s side, Cathy holding the taller elf in her arms. Anna was making food and keeping watch, cursing under her breathe in two different languages.

“Catalina, why don't you let Anna carry her tomorrow?” Jane asked with a small sigh, already knowing the answer.

“No.”

“Catalina—“

“It’s my fault she’s dying.” Catalina growled and looked away from Jane, more angry at herself than Jane. “It’s my fault for not just… moving myself and Kat instead of trying to be a shield.”

“Catalina, I don’t think you could have moved the both of you that fast. And even if you did, you had no time to think.” The elf cupped Catalina’s cheek, guiding her head to look at her again. “Anne would never blame you.”

They fell into silence, simply looking at each other. It was Jane who continued. “You love her, don’t you?”

Catalina only gave the tiniest of nods along with a shrug. “How can you know that?”

“The way you’re terrified.” Jane answered simply. “Whenever one of us got deathly injured, you were always able to be the calmest during those times. No matter how scared you were, you remained a leader. And well… I’ve seen how you two look at each other over these past few weeks.”

Catalina flushed and let out a small chuckle, glad for the small distraction of that last line. “Was it that obvious?”

“I’m a happily married woman, Catalina, trust me on this one.” Jane gave her a small laugh. “Anne looks at you so adoringly. And I think you’ve been falling deeper for her each day.”

Truthfully, Catalina wasn’t sure when she gained the crush on Anne. Before she was freed, after she was freed?

But either way, Catalina knew that it existed. And after the moments of realizing her sexuality and the anxiety that followed, Catalina embraced it.

She has a crush (is in love with) one Anne Boleyn.

“I have been, Jane…” Catalina stared over the fire at where Anne laid. “I have and she’s dying.”

Jane let out a hum of acknowledgement, placing a hand on Catalina’s shoulder. The Paladin leaned into it.

Catalina continued talking. “And it isn’t just that I love her.” She turned to meet the elf’s eyes. “Jane, she spent so long under the curse, unable to do anything. She’s finally been able to interact with the world again over the past few weeks, and now she’s just going to lose it like this?”

Catalina broke off into a sob after voicing this and Jane was quickly gathering Catalina into her arms. The other three watched with their own tears as Catalina, usually calm and collected in almost any situation, broke down.

All of them wanted to be strong for Anne. But every single one of them knew they were out of time. Anne was dying in front of them and they wouldn’t reach the town in time.

Anna made her way over to Jane and Catalina, pulling both her wife and friend into her arms.

Cathy and Kat remained curled up together under the tree by Anne’s side. Cathy hid her face in Kat’s shoulder and Kat looked just as depressed, listening to her cousin’s mumbled words.

Slowly, Kat moved her flute to her mouth. She looked around at everyone, her own tears joining everyone else’s.

Kat didn’t know if Anne was to die now or tomorrow, but either way, she wanted it to be peaceful for her cousin.

The song was haunting. A melody filled with despair and sorrow yet at the same time so peaceful. Anne’s body and expression relaxed as she calmed, the music reaching even her fever-ridden mind. Everyone let themselves fall into the melody, they would cry for Anne and continue moving at dawn, just as they had been doing.

(If she would still be with them or not was the question. Although, she hasn’t really been with them since the bite, when the poison caused hallucinations and fevers)

The song soon ended and Kat let out a shuddered gasp before pressing her face against Cathy’s hair.

But a minute later, everyone heard footsteps. Kat heard it first and was out of her embrace with Cathy and on her feet. The other three joined them in seconds, tears stopping as they all looked for a new threat.

And out of the trees stepped an old lady. A cane in one hand, long white hair trailing down her back, her clothes simple and plain.

The queens and the old lady stared at each other for a beat, one side warily and the other other with a small smile.

“I heard your music.” The old lady explained carefully, surveying each of them. “It’s beautiful, my dears. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such a heartfelt melody…”

The group could only stare, dumbfounded and weapons still drawn. “Who the hell are you?” Anna managed to ask, eyes narrowed with a protective suspicion.

The old lady didn’t reply. Instead her gaze looked to Anne. “Your friend… she’s injured?” She took a step closer to both Anne and the group. Realization sparked in her eyes as to just why that melody was so haunting.

“Don’t touch her!” Catalina barked as Cathy and Kat stepped further in front of Anne, blocking the old lady off as Anna and Catalina circled behind the old lady and Jane knelt down to Anne’s side.

“I promise you, I can help her. I’m a healer.” The old lady promised, undeterred by the protective nature.

“How do we know we can trust you?” Cathy asked.

“You just showed up out of nowhere!” Kat agreed.

“Maybe you’re right. There’s no way of knowing who you can trust until they do something.” The old lady nodded her head, meeting their eyes. “But please, let me at least look at her.” The lady requested.

There were several beats of silence, and then ever so slowly and warily, Kat and Cathy parted, allowing the lady to reach Anne’s side. She placed her cane to the side as she slowly lowered herself to her knees.

None of the queens let their caution lower, staying around the old lady in case she tried something. (It didn’t matter her age, they had faced older opponents before. They weren’t going to let anything harm Anne further than she already was.)

The lady glanced to Jane, who was still on Anne’s other side. “You’re a healer, yes?”

Jane paused. “Yes… but I can’t heal this…”

“It’s alright, my dear.” The old lady told her, gaze softening in understanding. “Now, tell me everything. She has a fever?”

Jane sucked a breath through her teeth, pulling back Anne’s shirt over her shoulder to reveal the bandages, already stained with two splotches of blood despite Jane having changed the bandages when they made camp.

Anna was behind Jane now, her hands rubbing circles into her wife’s shoulders. She looked just as anxious as Jane did, but she was clearly trying to push it back for everyone.

“It was a giant snake.” Jane told the old lady, looking up to meet her eyes. “A poisonous one.”

Under them, Anne began whimpering again. “Père s'il te plait... je ne veux pas…”

“Shhh, tu es en sécurité maintenant. Ton père n'est pas là.” The old woman murmured to Anne. Anne actually seemed to relax slightly at the comforting words in her mother language.

“I can help her at my home, it’s a little further down the path.” The old lady explained, looking back at all of them.

For a moment, the five could only stare blankly. Was this really happening? Was this a miracle or a curse? Would she stab them in the back?

“Why are you helping us?” Kat asked carefully, voicing everyone’s thoughts.

The old lady gave them a smile. “Cautious. A good trait to have in these times.” She hummed, twisting her cane. “Truthfully, I was exiled by my old town. My adventuring group caught the old king’s wrath. I was blamed and I’ve been here ever since, helping lost souls like yourselves.”

“Lost souls?” Catalina huffed, inching closer to Anne.

The old woman’s face softened. “I can explain more later. But for now, I ask that you please let me help your friend.”

The group all shared looks, communicating with their expressions. Do they trust this woman? But then they all came to a conclusion.

They had no other choice.

If they didn’t take this old woman’s help, Anne would die before they reached the next town. This was the only option they had left besides their friend’s death.

“Please help her.” Anna was the one who spoke up.

“I’ll do my best. My home is this way.” The old lady said. They packed up camp and Catalina picked up Anne before they all immediately followed the old lady down the path.

The house wasn’t that large, but was still two storied.

There were two bedrooms upstairs and only a connected kitchen and living room downstairs. Books, potions, and spells were scattered about.

The old woman quickly led them up the stairs to the bedroom on the left. “Put her on the bed, propped up slightly.” She ordered before swiftly leaving the room.

The queens could only do as they were told before waiting. They waited anxiously, still cautious and also filled with fear.

The woman reappeared within only a few minutes, a mixture in hand. She was by Anne’s side quickly, holding her head up and gently tipping the bowl so the mixture entered the woman’s mouth.

Anne’s face clenched and she weakly tried to bat the mixture away from her mouth.

“Vous allez bien, chérie. It will help you…” the old lady soothed.

Anne’s struggling abated with another shiver and she allowed the mixture to be poured into her mouth.

“And that’ll help her?” Cathy asked, watching the exchange closely.

“It will keep the poison from spreading further and I have another potion that can begin to work as an antidote.” The old lady explained, setting the bowl to the side.

The rest of the night, the queens spent with Anne, the old lady making them all finally get the sleep they needed scattered around the small bedroom. The old lady kept watch over Anne, making sure her condition didn’t get worse.

And over the next few days, Anne healed.

The antidote was working and the poison was slowly being cleared from Anne’s body. The holes on Anne’s shoulder were healing as well, the old lady not allowing Jane to heal it just yet.

The others finally felt comfortable enough sleeping downstairs, leaving one queen to look after Anne and the old lady was right across the hall upstairs.

That night, it was Catalina’s turn.

She was leaning back in the wooden chair planted directly next to Anne’s bedside. The paladin was playing gently with the rouge’s fingers, lost in her thoughts.

“Lina?”

Catalina’s head jolted up and she looked wide eyed to Anne. The shadow elf was awake. The lamp next to them cast a soft glow in grey skin and gave her emerald eyes a glimmer.

Even still half asleep, her shoulder throbbing in pain and her energy drained, Anne could tell that something was wrong as she took in the shocked expression. “What’s wrong—!”

A pair of lips suddenly crashed onto her own. Hands gently held onto her cheeks and trailed over her jawline. The kiss felt desperate and rushed, but Anne found herself relaxing into it with a hum of pure joy at the feeling.

Catalina was kissing her.

If Anne was less tired, she would have more of a reaction. But right now, she was drained and just enjoyed the feeling. Huh, maybe she was dreaming.

“Oh…” Anne mumbled as she was released from the kiss, her brain trying to catch up. “I appreciate it, but what was that for?”

“Just for living.” Catalina said with a small, rather sad chuckle.

“For living?” Anne repeated, a frown replacing that shocked, tiny smile. “Wait… what’s going on? I remember leaving the town…”

“Anne, you were poisoned. You almost died.” Catalina explained, tears springing into the corner of her eyes.

And just like that, Anne remembered what happened. She remembered being bitten and a blaring white pain, but everything after that was blurry and practically nothing.

“Merde.” Anne managed to say, turning her head to stare wide eyed at the bandage on her shoulder. She tried to sit up but Catalina was quickly getting her to lay back again.

“It’s okay. Just relax, you’re still healing…” Catalina soothed and Anne listened, her body’s lack of energy obeying for her.

“So I almost died?” Anne asked, looking back up to Catalina.

Catalina nodded ever so slowly, taking hold of Anne’s hand. “An old lady saved you and has been giving you the antidote. We’re in her house.”

“I’ll have to tell her thanks then…” They fell into a silence, simply taking in the others' presence. Anne almost fell back asleep, but forced herself to stay awake.

“To think, I was only freed a few weeks ago, and I almost died so soon.” Anne weakly clenched her hand.

“But you didn’t.” Catalina let out a shuddered breath. “We weren’t going to let you go so soon, Anne. Not after everything.”

Anne’s tired brain connected with that familiar frustration and she felt tears begin to roll down her face. Catalina looked alarmed so Anne managed to rasp out, “I’m sorry… for being so weak.”

“Weak?” Catalina’s jaw dropped. She thought she was the one with the fear of being weak. She never noticed Anne having the same thought. “You aren’t weak at all!”

“Then why did I end up here? Why am I taking away precious time we could be using to stop Henry?!” Anne hissed, looking away from Catalina. She tried to move her body, tried to do something, but her energy was drained, leaving her only able to move her fingers and even that was a strain.

“You’re here because you saved your cousin and I.”

Anne’s gaze flickered back to Catalina, who was frowning at her. “You saved the both of us in trade to your own life. That’s not weak in the slightest.”

Anne only stared at her. In the back of her sleep-fogged mind, Anne wondered if she should bring up just how much of a struggle getting readjusted had been. Just how much of a burden she really was. (Because her fear was less of being weak, but more of being a burden. How could she help the others if she was a burden?)

Anne wanted to change the subject. And that kiss was still in the front of her mind (along almost dying and her frustration, but Anne would rather look at the wonderful thing right now).

“So… that kiss.”

Catalina didn’t fight the change in subject. She was just happy to have Anne awake and alive. They could deal with everything later…

Catalina made a hum of acknowledgment. “You… you told me that you loved me…”

“Oh.” Anne’s eyes widened with realization. “Merde, I’m sorry I did that to you, Lina.”

“No, don’t apologize at all. You were hallucinating.” Catalina watched her closely. “But did you mean it?”

Anne stared, a blush dusting her cheeks that finally didn’t come from a fever. “Yeah… yeah, I did. I uh… I hope the kiss means you return the feeling?”

Catalina couldn’t hold back her laugh at the question. “It does, Querida.” Then she placed another kiss on Anne’s forehead, rubbing her fingers over Anne’s knuckles. “Now please sleep some more… you’re still recovering.”

Anne did feel tired, even surpassing that giddy feeling. “You’ll stay, right?”

“Always.”

And with that confirmation, Anne let out a content hum before letting herself fall back to sleep.

They talked more the next day, when Anne had much more energy. They talked about Anne’s frustration with herself (although, neither Anne or Catalina really knew what to do about it besides just talking at the moment) and about establishing a relationship. (“You haven’t… physically known me that long, Lina.” “I’ve known you long before these past few weeks, Anne, while you were still cursed. And I’ve only fallen further in this time.”)

The other queens finally saw Anne awake and were overjoyed, Kat returning the choker but not allowing Anne to wear it just yet. The old lady came in while everyone was chattering happily and introduced herself. Anne thanked her for saving her life but noticeably cringed as she was forced to drink another bitter mixture.

The group stayed there for several weeks, giving Anne time to heal. But it was only two or three days after Anne woke up that she tried to get back to work.

All five of the other queens had been either downstairs or outside, leaving Anne alone. And everyone had begun to get worried about her.

Which is why the old lady went up to check on Anne for them.

She froze in the doorway upon seeing Anne. The still injured woman was out of bed, a familiar dagger in hand. She was clearly trying to train but was stumbling and her breath was ragged. Anne was clearly exhausted but there was also something almost desperate in her eye. For a moment, the old lady thought Anne would pass out after a particularly harsh stagger.

The old lady tilted her head, taking in Anne’s appearance. “Training in the middle of a bedroom?”

Anne huffed, not turning to the newcomer. “None of you will let me go outside. So I’ll just have to do it here.”

The old lady’s gaze softened, but she didn’t move from the doorway. “You are still healing, mon cher. You need to give it time.”

Anne growled and made another slash with her dagger. Her whole body trembled from the movement and Anne swore she could feel more sweat drip down her skin as her legs almost gave out. “I can’t stop… I can’t…” she paused, gaze dropping before she glared back to the old lady. “No one else heard me, huh?” Her breathing was gasped as she spoke.

The old lady hummed, finally stepping further into the room. “No, they did not. But they were getting worried, which is why I came to check on you. You shouldn’t be out of bed.”

“What’s it to you?!” Anne finally snapped, her frustration having peaked. “You don’t know me! You’re just some grandma that decided to save me!”

The old lady didn’t seem angry by the comment, instead she stepped to Anne and used the hand free of her cane to carefully pull the dagger away and lay it on the dresser.

Anne didn’t resist, her body tired and so close to giving out on her. The old lady guided her gently by the unwounded shoulder to sit on the edge of the bed.

Anne continued her gasped breaths, recovering from her physical movements that caused the throbbing in her shoulder to flare up to a burning pain and caused all of energy to suddenly leave her.

“Now, can you tell me what’s going on?” The old lady asked in a calm tone. And Anne didn’t feel pressured. Something in her voice told Anne that it was alright if she didn’t want to talk, it felt comforting.

“I just… I need to catch up.” Anne muttered, unsure how much she herself was willing to tell. But her exhausted mind almost seemed to run on autopilot at the moment.

The old lady didn’t need to hear more. She nodded in understanding, her hand coming to rest on Anne’s knee. “You see yourself as weaker than them. You want to prove yourself.”

“I…” Anne finally crumbled, curling in slightly. “They’ve done so much for me. And I’m so weak and… and I haven’t done major fighting in so long… I’m still trying to relearn everything and I just…” she tried to hold back the tears in her eyes, but they stubbornly fell anyways. “What if I let them down? What if they realize that they don’t need me anymore like…” Anne froze, cutting herself off before she could say the name. She didn’t continue.

The old lady nodded her understanding. “You’re scared the past will repeat. That they’ll discard you if you aren’t capable enough.”

“Yes.” Anne grimaced at the way her voice cracked.

The old lady hummed, rubbing that soothing pattern on Anne’s knee. “Well, they will never throw you aside, I hope the past few days have shown you that.”

Anne rubbed stubbornly at her eyes. “Yeah… yeah I do. And they’ve done so much more before all of this.”

“I’m sure they have. I’ve seen how much all of you care for each other over these past few days. It truly is a wonderful sight.” The old lady pondered something for a moment. “Maybe… training would help you feel better about it.”

“I… what?”

Anne watched as the old lady stood and stepped out of the room, not giving her a reply. Anne could only sit there, still trying to recover from the strained workout as the old lady soon returned with a large book in hand.

“Be careful now, it’s rather heavy, hmm?” She told Anne, helping the shadow elf keep it on her lap after handing it over.

“What is this?” Anne asked, looking over the cover. It looked to be some kind of guide for rogues. Anne felt that familiar spark of her famous temper flare. “Showing me how weak I am? Unable to do these skills?”

Once again, the old lady proved to Anne that she had the patience of a saint. “Not at all. It’s a way for you to train, refresh your mind and memory while your body heals and catches up.”

Anne could only stare, almost blankly, at the cover. Her mind processed just how right the old lady might be and her temper began to dim each second.

“Read over it while your body heals.” The old lady told her gently, helping her lean back against the headboard in a more comfortable position. “And once it has, you can use your memories and this book.”

Anne watched as the lady made her way back over to the door. She paused before she left, keeping her back to Anne. “And those friends of yours… They’re your family. They won’t let you go that easily. The Paladin especially, you two are lovers after all!”

Anne sputtered and blushed at that. “Lovers?!” She coughed and tried to compose herself. “Uhm, we’re together… romantically... but I wouldn’t call us lovers just yet.”

The old lady laughed at that. She decidedly didn’t state how it was practically the same thing. Maybe Anne simply wasn’t ready to call it that yet or had a bad experience. “My bad then! But the point still stands, hmm? They won’t leave you, trust me on that.”

And then the lady left, leaving Anne to her thoughts.

Anne knew the others would never leave her. It was just… after Henry she didn’t want to risk it.

Be it if they left her through death, or even more impossibly left her by abandonment Anne didn’t want to do it again. That would undeniably break her.

Eventually, Anne had enough of being in her thoughts. So she finally cracked open the book, her interest piqued. Her eyes widened as she scanned through the pages, simply looking at what kind of content it had at the moment.

Holy shit!

The book was filled with everything Anne needed! Different techniques for fighting with a dagger. Different skills rogues used, from the most simple to the most complex. There was even a section dedicated to shadow magic!

(Not the addicting, evil type Henry used. But rather the good type of shadow magic. The type Anne used. The magic that she already used to go in and out of the shadows. But now, she could learn more about it, how to wield it more defensively and offensively. Maybe even learn how she could pull her friends into the shadows with her so she could get them out of harm's way like she had done for Kat so long ago. This was a chance for her to feel complete in control of the shadows. To finally wash away that last bit of anxiousness she got whenever she went back into them.)

The rest of that evening, Anne spent beginning to read the book. When the others came up to eat with her later, it was filled with Anne excitedly explaining the book and how it could help her.

No one could stop their excited and joyful smiles as they told Anne that they were excited for her and then later thanked the old lady.

And when Catalina joined her in bed later that night, Anne decided to ask something.

They were curled up together, Anne tucked into Catalina. The Paladin being very cautious of the shadow elf’s still healing body.

Anne had told her a bit of what happened earlier. Catalina was a little angry over Anne trying to train, maybe even a little bit at herself for not noticing but she didn’t yell, keeping her calm. Anne even found it in her to confide more of those fears. But the golden queen was quick to reassure that none of them would ever abandon Anne or hurt her like Henry did.

They had fallen into a comfortable silence when Anne quietly asked the question. “Do you consider us lovers?”

Catalina blinked, raising an eyebrow and pulling back to peer at Anne through the shadows. In the darkness, only the shadow elf’s clothing and glimmering emerald eyes were visible. “We’re girlfriends aren’t we? If it’s alright with you I would like to be…”

Anne chuckled, pulling Catalina back into the embrace. “It’s perfect. I just didn’t know if you were okay with the label.”

Catalina hummed and placed a kiss onto Anne’s head. “I adore it.”

The next moment was spent sharing sweet kisses and becoming more tangled in each other’s arms.

“Can I ask what brought up that question?” Catalina asked as Anne planted another kiss to her jaw.

“Just something the old lady said earlier. About my fear.” Anne admitted easily.

“Again, none of us will ever abandon you. I would hate myself if I ever hurt you like that.” Catalina told Anne, leaning down to capture Anne’s lips this time.

After they broke apart, a soft smile came to Anne’s face. “Yeah… Y’know, I would hate myself too if I hurt any of you. You especially, Lina.”

“Then I doubt it will ever happen either way. We’re a family. We’ll stay together.”

“I’m starting to get that…”

“And I’ll keep reminding you of it. Now let’s go to sleep. You’re still healing.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Anne’s comment was punctuated by a yawn. “Just don’t steal the pillow again.”

“Only if you don’t steal the blankets.” Catalina chuckled, closing her eyes.

“Nah. You’re too warm for that.” Catalina was thankful Anne couldn’t see her blush.

Over the next few days, Anne recovered. (In total, the queens stayed with the old lady for several weeks, Anne’s healing and then training requiring them to do so. They wondered if Catalina’s friend had gotten worried yet. Did they even know they were coming?)

The old lady had her drink several more doses of the healing mixtures, just as a precaution. Everyone kept an eye on her wound, Jane always soothing it with a minor healing spell since the old lady didn’t want her to heal it completely just yet, in case the poison made a vicious comeback.

In the meantime, Anne read. She read through the large book the old lady had leant her and she even got parchment and ink to write notes down. Notes of her own techniques that differed from the books. Ways to incorporate her own style. Plans for training and reteaching her body the physical skills, rogue skills, and the spells.

When she wasn’t reading and making plans, she was with the other queens. She had finally healed up enough that the old lady and Jane allowed her to join everyone downstairs during the day as long as she didn’t do anything too physical. Anne didn’t want to do that anyways. She was content to curl up with her friends and share stories and jokes like they always do. She would watch them do their own training and keeping guard outside, preparing for when she could restart her own.

And eventually she did.

She began with regular workouts. Jogs, pushups, sit-ups and the like. She gradually (but as quickly as she could) worked her way up to practicing with her dagger. She pushed herself hard, working on the physical tasks.

(She definitely noticed the occasionally blushing and staring Catalina and teasing queens. Anne couldn’t resist the one time she gave Catalina a wink. Later on, Catalina returned the gesture when they reversed roles.)

She worked through her anxiety (she did have a panic attack at some point, thank god Catalina and Cathy had been there) and began to practice with the shadows. She worked on entering and exiting, using them for attacks, pulling people in with her (the others' first comments were just how cold the shadows were).

During all of it, she spent an hour or two a day working on making her own lockpicks and getting faster at picking locks (everyone had grinned upon hearing the triumphant cheer as Anne finally managed to both make the lockpick and pick the lock in a lot less time than she had been). She worked on other skills too, such as pickpocketing by casually stealing the other queens items and returning them later that evening.

Anne herself was surprised with how she had been progressing, even while healing from the poison and wound.

Her skills were still far from perfect. It had been only a few weeks and she was still healing after all. But this was the best progress Anne had made since being freed.

And finally… finally Anne felt confident in her abilities again. And for real, she believed that she could get better with practice. That frustration was finally gone.

After believing that she would never be like she was before the curse, Anne finally felt that she could reach that level again. She finally felt brave, strong, and confident again.

Yeah, her trauma and other issues still existed, but Anne wasn’t going to let that hold her back anymore. She was going to help her friends take back the kingdom. And she finally felt capable of doing so.

She didn’t feel like such a burden anymore.

(Occasionally, that feeling of a burden would reappear, but a bit of training and spending time with others served to prove that she wasn’t.)

The others cheered her on every step of the way. The old lady did too, constantly helping her fix something if she got it wrong. (Anne owed a lot to her. Maybe someday she could make it up.)

They sparred with her, made sure she took breaks, and so much more to support her in both her healing and training.

Until finally, it was time to leave.

Anne’s healing and training were over (the latter wasn’t, but Anne had improved so much in the time that she felt confident in fighting and in her skills) and they had to bid goodbye to the old lady. They had to finally meet Catalina’s friends, after weeks of not reaching that objective.

The others stood off to the side, preparing to leave as Anne tried to hand the old lady back the book.

She simply laughed and pushed it back towards Anne. “My dear, I have no need for that book now. Your training isn’t over, take it with you.”

Anne blinked before beaming and nodding gratefully. “I don’t know how to thank you… you saved my life and I finally feel confident again after so long!”

“You don’t need to thank me…” she tapped her cane against the floor, pulling something out of her pocket. “Take this with you as well.” The old lady handed Anne a vial containing a potion. “It can break any spell.”

“Any spell?” Anne gaped at her. “How the hell did you make it?!”

The old lady laughed. “I can’t reveal all of my secrets, dear. But trust me when I say it is genuine.”

“Ma’am, I don’t—!” Anne tried to hand it back, but the old lady took both of her hands and gently closed Anne’s hand around the vial.

“I insist.” She told Anne, dipping her head. “Use it when you need it most.”

Anne stared at the potion for a moment before looking back up to the lady. “Why are you doing all of this?”

The lady smiled serenely and gently reached out, moving Anne’s free hand to grasp the potion as well. “Because I know who you are, my queen.” Anne’s eyes widened but she didn’t interrupt.

“And it’s high time for you and your little family to take back the throne.”

It wasn’t until later that the queens fully realized that they never got her name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chaud… = hot…  
> Père s'il te plait... ne veux pas… = Father please… don’t want to...  
> tu es en sécurité maintenant. Ton père n'est pas là = you’re safe now. Your father isn’t here.  
> Vous allez bien, chérie. = You’re alright, dear.
> 
> ——————————
> 
> The old lady will probably never be relevant again. But the real question here is if she was a goddess in disguise or just an old lady.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time to gather an army. Old friends and family appear, some in better circumstances than others...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: (minor) mention of past suicidal thoughts, execution by burning

The town was right up ahead.

Catalina let out a breath of relief, looking at the letter in her hands. The last one her old friend had sent. She had sent her own weeks (months) ago, agreeing to come to the town where her friend lived, where they could begin to build an army against Henry (it was the best chance the queens had. And if Catalina trusted his friend, then they trusted Catalina). This was the letter she had received in reply, Catalina never had the time to send her own response.

Catalina wondered if she was presumed dead.

That friend was one of the few who knew she was alive after going missing from the nunnery. They had always exchanged letters since Catalina was divorced. Catalina knew the other was probably fretting over her. The queens were supposed to be there by now.

But then everything with Anne happened…

Just as Catalina found herself slipping into the memories, good and bad, Anne slipped from the shadows to hug Catalina from behind. She reached up to press her face against the taller woman’s neck. “Are we almost there, ma reine?” She grumbled. The sunlight was harsher than usual, enough to discomfort Anne even with Cathy’s spell.

Catalina herself could feel the scars on her back throb a little under the heat and sweat of her leather and armor. The others weren’t faring any better with their old pains. But they had experienced worse. The paladin would call a break, but it wasn’t but another minute's walk.

Catalina chuckled, bringing a hand up over her shoulder to place it on Anne’s head. “It’s right up ahead, Cariño.”

Anne pulled away from Catalina, only to hold her hand instead as they walked. Catalina was surprised the shadow elf didn’t slip back into the shadow, but Catalina wasn’t going to complain.

“Your friend will be waiting for us?” Cathy asked, joining the conversation.

“She should be.” Catalina gave Cathy a nod. “I doubt she’s moved since the last letter…”

“Well, let's hope so, love.” Jane agreed with a small chuckle.

“Exactly! Now come on, I see the town up ahead!” Kat agreed, perking up further upon spotting the buildings.

“Let’s get out of this heat, queens!” Anna grinned widely, pulling Jane to go faster by the hand.

“Lets!” Anne agreed with a relieved breath. She could finally get away from this damned sunlight. At least she had lighter clothing compared to the others, her old tunic and clothing having been damaged by the snake leaving her in only the extra shirt they had gotten her.

Hmm, Anne would have to get new clothing in this town. Hopefully they had something similar to her old gear. At least she still had her belts and tools.

It didn’t take long to find the house belonging to Catalina’s friend. They stood outside, waiting after Catalina knocked on the door.

“Hello?” A voice asked, opening the door to peek out at them. The human woman’s eyes locked onto Catalina immediately. “Catalina!”

“Maria!”

The former lady in waiting was quickly stepping out the door, giving her old friend and queen a hug. After a moment, Maria pulled back to give Catalina a small glare, thwarted only by the relief also in her gaze.

“I thought you died! You were supposed to be here weeks ago!”

“Apologies, Maria.” Catalina gave her a sorry smile, shaking her head. “We got held up on the way.”

It was then that Maria finally took in the sight of the other five queens. She paused for a beat, her mind processing who exactly was in front of her, then she looked to Catalina again.

“Catalina, I think the heat got to me.”

“It hasn’t Maria. All of us are alive.” Catalina shook her head. “And I think we have a lot to talk about.”

Maria slowly nodded her head. “Come in. I think I have some friends who are going to want to see you.”

The queens exchanged confused glances but all followed Maria inside. They paused upon reaching a small living room containing three new, or not-so-new, people. Three queens stared wide eyed.

The trio inside stared back in just as much shock.

“Joan?!” Jane gaped.

“My queen!” Joan, a half-elf, gasped out, scrambling to her feet. Had she been in less shock, Joan would have gone into a bow. “You’re alive!”

“Bessie!” Anna beamed, less in shock and now more in excitement upon spotting her Satyr friend.

“Anna! And Catalina too?!” Bessie’s gaze flickered between both as she remained sitting.

For Anne, her and the final person remained staring, wide eyed. Then, two blurs raced towards each other, meeting in the middle in a hug that startled everyone around them.

“Mags!”

“Annie!”

Maggie pulled back, her hands tight to Anne’s shoulders. She had tears in her eyes and down her cheeks. Anne was in the same state, her hands tight to Maggie’s upper arms. Shadow elf and satyr stared at each other.

“I knew they were lying! I fucking knew it! They didn’t let me see you or care for you!”

Anne tensed. “I’m right here, Maggie. I’m alive and I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

The two women remained there for a moment before someone else quietly spoke up.

“I think…” Everyone glanced to Joan. “We need to have some private talks.”

~~||~~||~~

The ladies had gotten the queens water and some bread after their long trip in the heat. After that, the group split up, evidently needing to talk after so long.

Anne found herself in the room Maggie shared with Joan. Her and Maggie observed each other, Anne’s weapons and tools off to the side.

“They said you died.” Maggie started slowly, one of her hooves tapping against the side of the bed where it dangled off.

Anne paused for a long moment before giving Maggie a smirk, trying to hide the pain behind her next statement. “Who said I never died?”

“Explain. Now.”

Anne did.

She told Maggie of Henry’s curse. Exactly what happened to her. How she could see but wasn’t seen. How Cathy freed her from the castle and later from the curse. How the queens have helped her and the story of the old lady who finally gave her that confidence back.

The next thing Anne knew, Maggie was sobbing. The woman leaned forward, dragging Anne into a hug. “Mags…?”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Before Anne could even think to stop her from apologizing, Maggie continued. “They told me you died of sickness. They didn’t let me see your body… you were there the whole time and I just left you there!”

“Hey, no. Don’t do that, okay?” Anne murmured, pulling back and wiping away the tears that had started to fall down one of Maggie’s cheeks. “It was never your fault. It was always Henry’s.”

“I know… it’s just what if I could have helped you?” Maggie asked, shaking her head.

“Honestly? I don’t think you could’ve…” Anne swallowed, suddenly with a dry mouth despite the cool water she drank moments ago. “Cathy only got me out because she had that spell binding me to her own shadow. If she hadn’t… I owe a lot to her. To all of them.”

They lapsed into silence, leaning back so they were against the headboard of the bed.

“What was it like? The shadows?” Maggie was very reluctant to ask. But she needed to know what her friend experienced.

Anne froze. “It… it was cold. So damn cold. I couldn’t do anything. Eating, sleeping, feeling. None of it. I was nothing, just a shadow.”

Maggie flinched, regretting her question and cursing it. She was about to say something, but the look Anne gave her made her stop. It was depressed.

“I wanted to die, Mags.”

Maggie opened and closed her mouth, trying to find words to say. What do you even say to that? “Anne…”

“It’s okay.” Anne’s depressed state became lighter, tinted with happiness that had finally found her. “The other queens freed me. They’ve given me more than I could ever hope for. I’m happier. Stronger.”

Maggie tugged her into a one armed hug. “Good… I’ll have to thank them. And I am so happy to have you back.”

“I’m happy too… can we just stay here for a while?” Anne asked, happily letting herself be hugged. “I can tell some stories from our quest!”

“Only if I can tell stories of the three losers I live with.”

“Losers, huh?”

“I love them but the four of us are complete disasters, even having been ladies in waiting.”

The two spent time simply sitting together sharing stories. After everything, it was all they wanted to do.

So they ignored the looming threat of Henry. They didn't cry anymore over Anne’s curse. Instead they tried to be as happy as possible in that moment.

~~||~~||~~

They were the last duo to rejoin, the others having all gathered in the living room. The large group greeted them happily as the former queen and former lady got their seats.

Anne beamed at Catalina as she sat next to her, the paladin smiling back.

“Ma reine.”

“Mi alma.”

Maria stared between them, surprise on her face. “When did that happen?”

Catalina and Anne simply gave her a grin. Maria couldn’t stop the amused smile as she shook her head with a chuckle. “Tell me the story later.”

“Of course.” Catalina acknowledged. “Now, I believe we have some business?”

“Henry.” Bessie agreed with a scowl, hooves hitting the wooden floor angrily. “That’s right. Do you know how close he is to opening the shadow realm?”

Cathy shook her head with a sigh. “No. But it might be close. The demons have been growing stronger lately, meaning he’s probably turned to sacrificing many innocents.”

“Shit...” Maggie grumbled, running a hand through her hair, avoiding her horns. “We’re running out of time.”

“We have to take out Henry. But… he can make an army of demons and soldiers. We can’t fight that many…” Jane breathed out, a contemplative look on her face.

“We would need an army.” Catalina agreed.

Maria chuckled. “On the contrary. We have a start to an army right here.”

“What?”

“This town!” Joan was beaming proudly. “This entire town is made of rebels who are willing to fight!”

“That’s right!” Bessie gave them a grin. “If we could get more soldiers… then we could have an army right here ready to fight for the kingdom!”

For a moment, the queens could only gape. Then grins spread across their faces.

“Ladies, you are brilliant!” Anna laughed.

“If we can gather more troops, then you can lead them while we take out Henry!” Kat looked positively gleeful.

“We have a chance to stop him!” Anne couldn’t wipe the grin off her face.

“I don’t think we can thank you four enough.” Cathy had determination in her eyes.

“There’s no need.” María shook her head. “We want to save the kingdom as much as you do.”

“Now, I think we should talk about after the war. We can deal with strategies and talk more about the next step in a little bit.” It was Maggie who spoke up, earning nods of agreement. “After all, we’ll need a new ruler.”

“The people need guidance. Someone who can repair the kingdom after all of this and be a better leader than Henry ever was in terms of empathy.” Anna crosses her arms, leaning back in her chair.

“But who can lead the kingdom?” Cathy asked with a sigh.

There was a stretch of silence. None of the queens noticed the ladies sharing looks. Did they really not know the answer?

“You’re all joking, right?” Joan asked with a small cough.

“Joking? Why would we be joking, the kingdom will need a leader!” Kat replied, confusion lacing her tone and the expressions of all six former queens.

“One of you needs to take the throne.” Bessie said clearly, looking from queen to queen.

They all blinked. “I’m sorry?” Jane asked.

“We need a ruler after Henry’s gone.” Joan explained in her usual quiet tone. “You were all the former queens, why wouldn’t it be one of you?”

“Ladies… just because we were queen at one point and now saving the kingdom… that doesn’t mean we automatically want to lead.” Anna said, glancing at the others.

“Yeah, but we need someone! Catalina?” Maggie looked at the eldest queen.

It didn’t take very long for Catalina to reply. “No.”

“Catalina, the kingdom adored you!” Maria replied, as if surprised Catalina refused. Really, she wasn’t. Catalina had always been stubborn.

“That means nothing, Maria.” Catalina shook her head, wrapping an arm around Anne’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, but my answer is a no.”

Maria sighed before looking to Anne. The rouge realized exactly why she was being stared at and her eyes narrowed.

“No.”

“Anne—!” Maggie was cut off.

“No!” Anne snapped, glaring at all four ladies. “You think the people would want a shadow elf leading them?!” Before Maria could interject, Anne continued. “Look what happened the last time I was queen! The answer is hell no.”

Nobody mentioned that small glint of fear and memories that appeared in Anne’s eyes as she pressed closer to Catalina, who was quick to hold her close.

“Jane?” Joan asked, almost nervously.

“I’m sorry, love.” Jane said softly, shaking her head.

“You know… you were able to lead Holbein while I was gone.” Anna told Jane.

Jane smiles shyly at Anna. “I was doing it for you. You adored that town, your people. And besides… I had Catalina helping me run a small town, not an entire kingdom.”

Anna blinked for a moment. Jane has talked with her about it before, making it less of a shock. But it was still extremely heartwarming for the barbarian to hear. A smile spread across Anna’s face and she gave Jane a kiss.

“It’s your choice, Geliebte.” Anna glances up to the others. “I’m out as well.”

“Anna, you made an entire town!” Bessie stared at her, as if trying to solve a puzzle.

“Yeah… and that was hard enough. Ruling an entire kingdom on your own?” Anna ran her fingers through her hair, wincing. “I don’t think I’m good enough for that.”

“Don’t look at me either. I shouldn't have to explain why.” Kat raised an eyebrow, almost challengingly to the ladies.

“So that’s it then? You’re all going to leave us to find a leader that won’t end up like Henry?” Joan asked, a sad look on her face.

“Do you know how long that will take?” Maggie asked. “The kingdom is going to need structure after this! It doesn’t have time to wait for a new ruler!”

“You still have time to look! Why are you so set on it being us?” Kat questioned in return.

It quickly devolved into an argument. The queens and ladies voices were gradually raising over each other until it turned to shouting, but no one stood. Both sides were arguing their points. Maria’s voice finally rang louder than the rest as she swiftly leant forward in her chair, slamming her hands on the table and meeting Catalina’s eyes.

“IF YOU DON’T LEAD, THEN WHO THE HELL WILL?!”

“YOU’LL FIND SOMEONE!” Catalina bursts out, startling everyone as the woman abruptly stood. There was a moment of silence before Catalina slumped back in the chair, shaking her head with a sigh. “You’ll find someone... We’ll defeat Henry, that’s it.”

Maria stared for a minute. Then, slowly. “What happened to the Catalina I knew?”

Something glinted in the paladin’s eyes. She maintained eye contact with Maria as she spoke almost emotionlessly. “She’s back in a nunnery.”

Anne couldn’t help the anger that sparked in her chest. Maria was implying that Catalina is a coward!

Anne had seen Catalina do so many brave things!

The woman had once endured a whip to her back to protect a child in a town ruled under an iron fist where whipping and other torture was common. She dueled a man and almost died to rescue a town and stop him from killing the other queens. She’s fought countless monsters and demons and always made sure the others were safe before herself.

Anne could list thousands of reasons. If the queens were represented by weapons, then Anne figured Catalina would be a shield.

Catalina was anything but a coward! And Anne despised that even Catalina didn’t seem to believe it.

Anne practically snarled, now on the defense. “Lina’s anything but a coward! Has it not occurred to you that we all had bad experiences on the throne?!”

It was Maggie who spoke up instead of Maria. “Annie, that was under Henry! Can’t you understand that things will be different this time?”

“It’s not just Henry!” Kat spoke the words on the tip on Anne’s tongue. “The citizens could turn against us just as he did! If one of us led, then who says we would be successful? Better than Henry sure, but what about good enough for the people? Any one of us—!”

“We all take the throne.”

Everyone’s heads turned to stare at the speaker. Surprise was written clearly across all their faces as they took in Cathy, who was glancing between all of them.

“All six of you?” It was Joan who asked, wide eyed.

“Do you know how chaotic it would be?!” Bessie questioned, jaw dropped.

“I don’t think it would be chaotic at all.” Cathy shook her head. “We all have our strengths and weaknesses. We get along. We’re a family to each other.”

“That doesn’t help your case much, Catherine.” Maria sighed. “How do you think the people would react?”

“Confusion.” Cathy nodded to herself. “It would be a lot to get used to. But I’m sure with time they would understand.”

Before another lady could open her mouth, another queen spoke up.

“I like it.” Anna agreed, staring back at Cathy. “At any rate, it’s better than Henry.”

“Yes, but—!”

“I’m in.” Kat gave her opinion, determination clear as she linked her arm with Cathy’s. “None of us want to be queen alone. We’re too scared to. But what if we can all be queen and support each other?”

Jane squeezes Anna’s hand, giving her wife a smile. “And if you’re worried about fights, then we can handle them. We’ve had fights before, but we always manage to apologize. We keep each other in check.”

Catalina stared at everyone for a moment before chuckling. “Well… if all of you are with me, then I suppose I could try.” The woman still looked a little worried, but a bit more confidence had entered her gaze.

Everyone looked to Anne and she stared back. She shrunk under the gazes slightly.

Did she really want to chance it?

Logically, Anne knew she couldn’t be trapped again. She herself had watched the spell turn to ash by Cathy’s hand. But there was still that underlying fear that the people would hate her, find some way to ruin things again just as when they helped give reason for Henry to curse her.

Anne also knew that the other queens would keep her safe. There was no question about it. But Anne was still worried that her presence would cause a problem the others shouldn’t have to put up with.

But then again… none of them complained when they had to deflect everything before. And this could be a chance for Anne to help those looked down upon like her! Maybe she could make efforts to get them in a better place.

And Anne knew that together, all six of them, they could manage to bring peace.

(There was never peace. People were people after all. But maybe, they could make things a lot more peaceful than they are now.)

“As long as you guys have my back, I’ll have yours.” Anne did her best to give them a confident smirk.

The other five beamed back. They knew Anne wasn’t completely certain, but she was willing to try. And the others were all thankful for it.

None of them were certain. But Cathy’s idea… it was more appealing than doing it alone.

They would have to set rules, make plans. They would have to regain their confidence and struggle to readjust to leading a kingdom. They would have to learn that history wouldn’t repeat.

None of them fully agreed in their minds, they all knew it.

For a moment, the ladies could only stare. They looked at each other and exchanged looks.

Finally, all four ladies came to a resolution and gave the queens nods and smiles.

“Alright, my queens. We’re in.”

~~||~~||~~

The town the ladies lived in was entirely made up of rebels. Which made it the perfect spot to set up a base. The queens and ladies rallied the town, putting a start to their army.

But this wasn’t nearly enough troops.

Which is why the queens quest began again. This time, the objective was to gather rebels as discreetly as they could.

So they set out, bidding farewell to the ladies in waiting and leaving them in charge (after getting Anne new gear that was practically identical to her old clothing, much to the rogue's delight).

They would stay in a town for a few days, observing residents and finding people against Henry. They skillfully avoided those few for Henry, sending the new rebels and their families along the path to the ladies.

It was the third town that something happened.

This town was well populated, with a small castle of its own. But something was clearly wrong.

The first sign was the guard at the gate. He watched their group of six pass through with an almost pitying gaze that set off alarms for all six queens.

That wasn’t even mentioning the fact that they had to write their names down. Fake names they made for such an occasion.

The next sign was the civilians.

The townspeople all looked anxious and downright terrified. They walked with heads lowered, clothing children and other family members close. Almost as if scared they would never touch them again. Tons of guards were in the streets as well, keeping an eye on everyone.

The last sign was the rumors.

They were paying for their room in the inn for the night when they could hear people talking. Talking about… burnings? There were whispers of not being allowed to leave the town until after tomorrow morning.

Something was going on and all six queens were on edge.

The next morning they kept their weapons close. They had breakfast downstairs and tried to keep up conversation, but the tension was high.

“So,” Anna started, glancing around quickly. “I think we should leave as soon as possible.”

“Agreed. Something’s… wrong about all of this.” Jane’s fingers weaved between Anna’s and also fingered her rapier anxiously.

“What if the townspeople need help?” Kat asked, keeping her voice down. Everyone winced, that was a very good point.

Anne dragged a hand down her face with a deep sigh, leaning against Catalina. “We can’t do anything. All these guards would blow our cover.”

“If something is wrong, then I hope they get help soon.” Cathy murmured, looking down at the book she had in her hands. She was doing anything but reading.

“May the gods be kind to them.” Catalina dipped her head. “... Let’s get on the road.”

So, the group stood up, leaving behind their payment, and made their way out the door.

It just so happened that the town was gathering at that moment. The queens couldn’t hide their surprise and wariness upon seeing the guards practically herding the town and travelers through the streets to one location. Guards were even entering houses and shops.

“Now I definitely think we need to go.” Anna said, glaring at the scene.

“Can we even leave is the question.” Cathy pointed out. But the group tried anyways, moving to make their way towards a different path.

Just like everyone else, they were quickly redirected.

“Halt!” A guard told them, stepping in front of the six. “You are supposed to be reporting to the square. Travelers I assume?”

“That’s right.” Anne said, glaring at the guard. “What the hell’s going on?”

“The minister has placed a law that everyone must report to the square at this time each day, traveler or not.” The guard answered gruffly.

Anne and Anna looked ready to protest but Jane placed a hand on both of their shoulders, giving them a look. The rouge and barbarian thankfully backed down.

“Thank you for telling us, sir.” Kat told the guard before they joined the crowd of people.

“Do we really want to be a part of this?” Cathy asked the others, keeping her voice low.

Catalina shook her head. “We should see what’s happening. And besides…” Catalina glances at the guards with narrowed eyes. “I don’t think we have a choice.”

They didn’t. Neither did any of the citizens.

They found themselves in front of a scaffolding made out of wood and stone. The crowd was still either confused and a bit angry or simply depressed.

Soon enough, all of the citizens and travelers had been gathered and a man stood in front of everyone on the scaffolding. The queens listened closely and warily as he began to speak.

“Good morning, my people!” He announced. “I see some newcomers in the crowd! Welcome to our town.” The man chuckled darkly. “Our king requires your assistance, my people. He requires us to help him become a greater king for our kingdom!”

“I don’t like this…” Anne muttered, eyes narrowed.

“He requires sacrifices.”

The townspeople looked down, acceptance and sorrow in their eyes. They had been putting up with this for several days, maybe even weeks now. They had seen friends and family already subjected to this fate.

Travelers began to whisper, wide eyed. There was no way this man was serious! Sacrifices? For the king himself?

As for the queens, their eyes widened with realization. The sacrifice of many innocents. Henry was indeed collecting those sacrifices.

Henry was ripping families apart. He was murdering people. All for power and control.

Standing towards the back of the crowd, the queens all scowled as they realized exactly what was about to happen.

“Why should we let ourselves be killed for a tyrant!” A brave soul shouted from within the crowd.

“The king is no tyrant, he is our savior! Don’t you see!” The man on stage called, he raised his arms, as if beckoning the gods. But then, another dark look passed his face. “And who said you had a choice? We will allow our savior to save us all!”

“He’s treating Henry like a god!” Catalina hissed under her breath, clearly taking the notion as in insult to the gods.

“Savior my ass...” Anna huffed at the same time, clenching Jane’s hand just a little tighter. If anything, Jane’s grip was even tighter.

None of the other queens had time to add their own thoughts, even if they wanted to do more than glare.

“Bring out the executioners!”

And then, the carriage door behind the scaffolding opened. The queens couldn’t see who it was at first, in the back of the crowd. But when the three persons stepped on the stage, the queens all froze.

All of that anger in their chests dropped to their stomachs, turning to sheer horror and dread.

The three ‘executioners’ were children. And not just any children.

Mary, a teenager, stood at the head, dressed in a regal dress, tall and with a blank stare. Elizabeth, about a preteen, stood in her own dress, the usual happy grin was gone from her face, replaced with a stare just like Mary’s. Even little Edward had that stare, holding onto Elizabeth’s hand and in his own royal garb beside her.

The travelers in the crowd seemed to be surprised. Why were they calling children executioners? One person even let out a laugh.

But the townspeople looked even more terrified than they had been before. Mothers clutching children close against them, fathers scowling or simply looking depressed.

The man had to be joking, the queens thought. But that thought was overshadowed by the sheer shock of seeing the children again. They didn’t expect to see them until after Henry.

And the three mothers never forgot about their children. Their hearts were about to burst (from joy and dread) upon seeing the three.

They had no time to fully take in and process what was happening. The man began to read names, condemning ten people to death.

Some of those people tried to run, but with all the guards, they didn’t make it far. Families and friends cried as some were forcibly ripped away or watched as two of the sacrifices kept their heads bowed and walked forward, keeping silent or murmuring a prayer.

They all reached the scaffolding after several minutes, standing in a line. After a moment, the guards grabbed an elf from the front of the line and tugged him forward, pushing him to his knees in front of Mary.

The silence was only broken by sobs from the crowd. But still, it was stifling, a thick tension pressing down on everyone’s shoulders, the queens especially.

Mary stared blankly at the kneeling elf for a moment. She was waiting for an order.

Then, the man made a simple gesture with his hand. Mary casted a spell and in a matter of seconds, the elf was on fire, burning horribly and his screams echoing.

The next sacrifices were trembling, the crowd was screaming or gasping on terror. For the queens, they didn’t seem to know how to react.

Catalina was staring blankly at her daughter, tears on her face, one hand had come up to her mouth and the other was clenched white to Anne’s shoulder. Anne herself could only stare, wide eyed and in shock. Jane looked sickly and was crying, pressing against Anna and turning her head to Anna’s chest but still looking up to the children every few seconds, Edward especially.

A glare was fixed on Anna’s face as she couldn’t look away from the scene, her arms securely around Jane. Kat was pale and had tears falling down her cheeks but was silent. Cathy looked to the floor, fists clenched tight and unable to watch any longer, she was mumbling something under her breath.

One after another, the same scene occurred until all ten sacrifices were nothing but ash. The man had waved his hand, collecting blue orbs and placing them in a jar.

“Thank you for your service.” He said simply, the crying crowd slowly began to disperse, some still frozen in their spots.

The queens retreated to an alleyway, where they could still see the children on stage, awaiting their commands. They were out of sight now and able to talk freely.

“What… what the fuck just happened?!” Anne demanded, sadness and fury flaring in her eyes.

“We… Mary killed them… And Edward and Elizabeth didn’t seem worried at all. None of them did!” Jane burst out, her breathing picking up slightly. Anna was quickly turning to comfort Jane, taking her wife’s hands in her own and beginning breathing exercises.

“They can’t be doing this themselves!” Kat protested. “Henry has to be doing something…”

Jane shook her head slowly, a small sob coming from her lips. “How do we know that, Kat? I want to believe it but…”

“Their eyes.”

Everyone looked to Cathy. She was still staring at the stage, watching the children being led away. “Their eyes were all black. A common sign of brainwashing spells. And there was a red mark on their necks.”

“Wait, how did you see their eyes?” Anna asked, blinking in surprise.

“I used a small illusion to get closer.” Cathy acknowledges and no one was very surprised. “Henry’s brainwashed them. That red mark is the emblem of the controller. The emblem on the children just so happened to be Henry’s crest.”

“Son of a bitch!” Anne was practically vibrating from her rage, beginning to pace.

“I… I think this means Henry is using the kids to get him his sacrifices.” Anna explained with a sigh. “Notice how that old man was collecting those lights into a jar? I think they’re collecting souls for Henry. Mary’s his executioner.”

A loud crack made everyone jump.

Kat and Anna were swiftly looking to make sure no one heard them while the other three stared at Catalina. The paladin had punched the wooden wall next to them, her gloved and armored fist forming a wide crack down the middle of the plank.

Cathy was by her godmother’s side in a second, taking hold of her hand as it pulled back to punch again. “Madrina!”

There was a struggle, Catalina wanting to let her rage out on something while Cathy tried to keep her from hurting herself further. At some point, Jane has leapt forward too, leaving Kat and Anna to anxiously watch for anyone who might hear or see.

“Lina!”

Catalina finally paused, her gaze flickering to Anne. The shadow elf stepped past Jane and Cathy, causing both to step away, reaching up to cup Catalina’s jaw.

“I’m happy that you’re sharing what you’re feeling… but I need you to calm down, m’kay?”

“Anne—!”

“I know… I’m angry too. I bet punching the wall felt good in the moment, hmm? I wanna do it too. But I’m sure your hand hurts just as much as your heart now.”

Catalina did grimace, the bruise already forming along her knuckle. The adrenaline was dying down as she was calmed.

As much as this could blow their cover, the others were sort of glad Catalina had this outburst. The woman was so used to hiding her pain and feelings. From her time in court to fear of abandonment after Henry. It was nice to see this fury.

But that was all in the back of their minds right now.

“It’s okay, Lina. I’m angry too… but please don’t hurt yourself over it.” Anne let out a snicker. “Look at me, being a hypocrite. But it’s okay to cry.”

Catalina stared for another moment before crumpling, leaning forward and down so she was in Anne’s arms, her face in the crook of her lover’s neck. A shuddered gasp escaped her lips.

“I… I dreamed of seeing her again for all these years.” Catalina whispered into Anne’s neck. “And… And I finally did… but I just saw her murder people!”

Anne was reaching up to cradle the back of Catalina’s head. “Shhh… I know, it probably hurts.” A sob and a nod was pressed against Anne. “But none of this is her fault. It’s Henry’s.” Anne almost let out another burst of rage but managed to contain herself, her hug tightening a little bit instead. “And we’re going to free her. Free all of them. Okay, mon ange?”

That seemed to snap something in Catalina and she pulled back to look at Anne. “Are you alright… with Elizabeth?”

Anne softened under the care, Catalina’s hands having come up to rest on her cheeks. “I’m better than I could be... Are we really seeing them again?”

“We are, Anne. We are.” Catalina leant forward so their foreheads pressed together. “And we’ll free them. You’ll get to hold Elizabeth again, Anne. You’ll get to be a mother again.”

Anne beamed through her tears. “And you with Mary.”

It was a long minute before they separated, finally paying attention to the other queens. Anna had comforted Jane and Cathy and Kat were talking in whispers to each other, just as shaken.

Upon seeing everyone a little calmer, Cathy spoke up. “Let’s go. We’ll make camp outside town.”

None of them could watch that for a second time.

None of them were okay. They all knew that. They had just seen their children murder people or watch the murder with a blank stare. And this was the first time they had seen the children in a long time, some longer than others.

But they were going to free them. They weren’t going to stop trying until they did.

~~||~~||~~

After setting up camp, they had discussed what they could possibly do. They went through several ideas.

But eventually, they settled on Cathy looking for a spell to free them. There had to be a cure for the brainwashing, and if anyone could find it, it would be their wizard.

So Cathy searched and searched through her books for the entire day until Kat finally managed to sooth her away from the spells to try and get some sleep.

The fire had long since died out and the queens were all asleep, the couples holding each other close.

None of their sleep seemed to be positive dreams. Jane had clearly been crying. Anna had a frown on her face. Kat was mumbling in her sleep. Cathy kept rolling over and moving in Kat’s arms. Catalina was clearly in discomfort from whatever was in her dreams.

And Anne simply wasn’t asleep at all.

She could see the pain everyone was going through after having seen the children like that. (Anne could see in the dark, better than even a normal elf like Jane and Kat.) She could feel Catalina tense, press herself closer before relaxing again in a repeated cycle.

Anne could feel her own pain thrumming in her chest.

She had seen Elizabeth again. And oh gods, she had grown. Their journey was probably a year or so long by now, and even over that year the girl had grown.

Anne wanted nothing more to sweep Elizabeth up in a hug. But would she even remember her? Elizabeth had been so young last time she had seen Anne.

And she definitely wouldn’t be able to now. Not under the spell.

Fury and sadness gripped onto Anne’s mind and heart at that thought. The emotions she was so used to at this point.

When would Henry stop hurting her?

He did it by hurting those Anne cared about. He did it though that damn curse. He had hurt her verbally, and in one rare case physically, when they were married.

And by the gods, Anne wanted him to know the pain he caused.

Not just to her.

She wanted him to understand the suffering he had put the other queens through. The suffering he was putting the children through. The suffering he was putting his entire kingdom through.

Anne wanted Henry to suffer.

But she couldn’t go storm the castle. It was days, weeks, away and it was a suicide mission (perhaps it was. But even if Anne was executed, she would still be satisfied to have made Henry feel that suffering). No, the children were more important right now.

And in the back of her mind, Anne knew the solution. She just couldn’t remember what it was.

It was just as Anne drifted off that she remembered.

It had always been in the corner of her mind. A secret weapon waiting to be used. And now was the time Anne knew it was supposed to happen.

The potion.

The one the old lady gave her that can break any spell. There was enough to break the spell over all three kids if she used it carefully.

Anne couldn’t believe she forgot! The answer was right there the entire time!

But… maybe it was good that the others didn’t know. They had already dealt with so much over the course of this journey. Maybe… Anne could free them by herself. Keep the others from having to fight their children.

Yeah, maybe Anne would have to fight Elizabeth or at the very least hold her down. But that was a sacrifice Anne was willing to make.

They dealt with so much… Anne figured it was finally time to return the favor.

Ever so slowly, Anne removed herself from Catalina’s arms. Anne huffed at the sudden feeling of coldness now that Catalina wasn’t holding her.

Anne stiffened as Catalina grumbled in her sleep before the woman simply turned over.

“Don’t worry, Lina. Next time you see me, you’ll get to see Mary again too.” With that, Anne leaned over to press a kiss to Catalina’s cheek before she finally stood and grabbed her equipment.

Anne used practiced silence as she grabbed everything she needed. Her ears twitched, listening closely for any sign of the others waking up. She made sure to triple check that she had the potion. With that, she made her way to the town.

The castle was on the other side so Anne resorted to rooftop hopping and sneaking through alleyways to reach the stone and wood structure.

Anne paused on a rooftop, the realization of something finally hitting her.

She was about to see Elizabeth again. Not just from the crowd, it was up close.

Anne took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. She couldn't let emotions get in the way here. She had to knock them out and use the potion.

After it was over she could let her emotions run wild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maria - Human  
> Maggie - Satyr  
> Joan - Half-elf  
> Bessie - Satyr
> 
> So, this actually got split in half. It was a shock realizing that reading over this half, I wasn’t used to this kind of length. It was leading to thoughts of, what if it’s too short? When it’s almost 7,000 words. Brain? Hello?
> 
> But yeah, split it in half and I’ll post the second part tomorrow!
> 
> And if you wanted to see more of the ladies, then I actually have been writing down one shot ideas for this AU for after this story is finished. Something with the LiW is one of them, along with the Clevemour backstory and also the tales of the queens getting those major injuries and scars like Anne’s (Anne definitely has a scar on her shoulder from that snake bite). But yeah, I hope I did them justice (or at the very least, okay)! I’ve never written their group before!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne has a mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWs: burns, vomiting(minor)

With Anne’s abilities, it was easy to slip into the small castle.

Slinking through the shadows, on constant defense as she kept a close eye on every guard she passed, making sure they didn’t spot her highlighted against the lamp brightened walls.

The first room she found was Edward’s.

The little boy was lying in his bed. But the way he was laying sent chills up Anne’s spine.

It was almost as if he was dormant, or under a sleeping spell. His eyes were closed and he was on his back, arms at his side. For a moment, Anne thought he might be dead, but his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm.

Anne figured it was a side effect of the spell. They had to sleep, but their minds were under the brainwashing. Still… it wasn’t pleasant to look at and Anne wondered if she would be greeted with the same sight for Elizabeth.

It was easy to tilt the boy’s head up and gently give him some of the potion. Slowly, the mark on his neck began to fade.

Anne had never gotten to know the boy personally, simply watching over him as she had done for his sisters. It would be nice to finally greet him. And Anne knew Jane would be ecstatic to see the boy.

He had his mother’s blond hair and pointed ears. Anne wondered if he had her eyes too or if he had Henry’s. Honestly… Anne hoped it was the former. But Anne wouldn’t hold it against him if it was the latter, just like she held none of his father’s doings or passed down physical traits against him.

Edward was a child, for the gods’ sakes! She wasn’t going to hold such evil against a child. As far as Anne was concerned, Edward was perfectly fine the way he was.

She left him on the bed, resolving to come back for him once she had freed the other two.

Elizabeth’s room was across the hall.

She was in the same state as Edward and for a moment, Anne could only stare at the girl.

Anne couldn’t help but recall her first night under the curse. Crying by Elizabeth’s side, the girl fast asleep at her young age and unable to hear the sobs.

Carefully, ever so carefully, she moved her fingers towards Elizabeth. The young girl continued to sleep peacefully.

The back of Anne’s fingers rested on Elizabeth’s cheek and the shadow elf brightened. She couldn’t stop the sob that escaped her lips as she beamed at her daughter.

The girl had the same gray skin as her mother, only a little lighter due to Henry’s human nature. Her ears were a little pointed as well. Something seemed to break through the brainwashing and Elizabeth actually let out a sigh of content, leaning her cheek further against Anne’s fingers.

Anne only seemed even more joyful at the sight. She perched herself at the edge of the bed, pulling Elizabeth up into her arms.

“I’m here, mon coeur. I’m finally here… And I will never leave you again.” Anne whispered.

It took several minutes for Anne to finally pull herself from her daughter. They had a time limit, the sun would be up soon.

She gently administered the potion and gave Elizabeth one last hug before taking a step back. She stared for a moment before spinning on her heel and walking out of the room.

After this, she would have plenty of time to spend with Elizabeth. So as she carefully made her way into the hall, she wiped away the stubborn tears.

She had a mission to complete.

Anne checked the room next to Elizabeth’s for Mary. The teen wasn’t there, not in the bed, not standing or in a chair. She checked the room beside Edward’s. Nothing.

Anne swiftly checked every room in the hall.

Mary wasn’t there.

Alarm bells went off in Anne’s head. She should grab Edward and Elizabeth and get out. Something wasn’t right.

But Anne wasn’t going to leave Mary behind. The girl didn’t deserve that. And Anne wasn’t going to do that to Mary or Catalina.

So Anne put the still sleeping Edward in Elizabeth’s room with his sister. She gave a kiss to her daughter’s head before securing the room and exiting.

She began to search the castle, looking for the eldest princess. She remained a shadow, sneaking along the walls and floor. (Anne couldn’t shake the feeling of being back in Henry’s castle.) Mary wasn’t in any of the rooms or the kitchen. The few guards wandered around the halls but no Mary was among them.

And finally, the throne room was left. And truthfully, Anne dreaded it.

There was never anything good that occurred in a throne room like this. But still, Anne entered, her determination to find Mary not wavering.

The throne room’s lamps lights were lit, casting the hall in a shadowed glow. Two people stood at the throne, and one was staring right at her.

“Come out, you wretched shadow!”

Anne scowled. It was the man who had conducted the executions this morning.

Ever so slowly, Anne stepped out of the shadows, staring defiantly at the two in front of her. Anne took in the second person beside the man.

Well, she had found Mary at the very least.

She was right in front of Anne, at the end of the throne room. The man was there as well, him and Mary staring at Anne, one blank and the other with a grin. Anne glared back at the man.

“Ah, it’s been many years but I can recognize that face.” The man drawled, hands behind his back. “Anne Boleyn. You’re supposed to be dead.”

“Well, death didn’t stick.” Anne said simply, tilting her head.

“I suppose it didn’t.” The man glanced around the area. “Where is your necromancer, you spirit.”

Anne couldn’t stop the bark of laughter at that. “Necromancer?” She rose her arms to the side, palms outstretched. “I’m all flesh and blood, Monsieur.”

“So you say.” The man clearly didn’t believe her. “I’ll give the king your regards. You and whatever master has brought you back.”

“Sorry, but I’d rather give them in person.” Anne pulled her dagger from her belt, making sure the potion was secure.

“When I make him suffer.”

The man scowled at her response before giving her a laugh. “You already freed the prince and the younger princess, I can tell… but we will not let our executioner go without a fight.” The man gave Anne a malicious grin. “The king still requires her service. Does he not?” The question was directed at Mary.

Her face and voice were still emotionless as she stared at Anne. “I must serve my king.”

“Good girl.” The man nodded, looking very pleased. Then, he gave Anne one last glare before spinning on his heel and exiting the room.

“Execute her.”

That was all that needed to be said before a blast of fire came racing towards Anne. She dove behind a pillar, using it as a guard from the second blast.

For several minutes, Anne simply dodged and hid, looking for an opening to knock Mary out.

Anne wished there was an easy way to finish this. But to do that she would have to hurt Mary. And she wanted to keep the pain she inflicted to the girl to the minimum if not no pain at all.

After the dodging Anne had been doing, she figured it was time to start trying to go on the offense.

She had already started to use some of her shadow magic more offensively on demons and monsters, so Anne knew what she was doing when she summoned her connection to the shadows.

Tendrils of shadows burst from the floor, wrapping around Mary’s arms and legs. The girl struggled, that blank look still not fading. Anne rushed forward, keeping the shadows trapping Mary strong.

The rouge pulled out her dagger, preparing to use the handle to simply knock Mary unconscious.

But as she came closer, a sudden burst of flames caused Anne to stop in her tracks, proceeding to take several steps backwards. Mary had cast a fire spell all around her, sending the shadows away from her.

Anne’s heart leapt into her throat upon noticing new burns adorning Mary’s arms past tattered and burnt clothing. The burns had been caused by Mary’s own magic. (Usually, Fire spells were cast a little away from the skin, preventing burns. But if the caster used it on their skin like Mary just did, burns were inevitable)

And that was the second Anne knew.

Mary would kill herself if it meant killing Anne. If it meant obeying the order.

And suddenly, the battle wasn’t simply Anne trying to protect herself and knock out Mary. She was trying to protect Mary too.

Anne knew she needed to end this. Now.

If she didn’t, one of them would end up dead. Maybe even both.

So Anne vanished into the shadows. Seconds later, she was dragging Mary in with her. The brainwashed teen didn’t cry out, instead spinning on her attacker.

Her fist slammed into Anne’s face and the shadow elf let out a grunt, keeping hold. She swiftly had Mary’s arms secured but Mary simply slammed her head back into Anne’s nose.

Anne couldn’t hold back the hiss as she released Mary, more out of surprise than pain. (She could be hurt by someone when she was in the shadows only if they were in the shadows with her, but even then it was much weaker.)

Mary managed to grab Anne’s arm and pull her from the shadows as well, earning a shocked yelp. No one had ever dragged her from the shadows like that before! Anne quickly tried to recover, pulling her arm from the grip.

But Mary was faster, keeping her grip steady and quickly casting fire magic. The spell burned at both Anne’s arm and Mary’s hand, burning the both of them.

Anne cried out, finally managing to pull her arm away. Mary didn’t even flinch at the pain in her burnt hand. She instead launched another spell that sent Anne rolling across the floor.

Anne tried to scramble to her feet, clutching her arm. But Mary was already launching a blast of fire at Anne, leaving no time for Anne to move, slowed by the stinging pain on her arm.

Anne remembered the burnings from yesterday. Their screaming and the flailing. It looked like she was about to meet the same fate.

Anne waited for the fire to wash over her. In her mind, she apologized to the others. To Maggie. To Mary and Edward. To Elizabeth. To Lina…

She didn’t think she was ready for death. But… it would always be better than the curse.

The burning never came.

Anne blinked, opening her eyes. In front of her was a very familiar figure, a shield raised to deflect the flames.

Catalina.

Something shifted in Mary’s eyes for a second. The brainwashing slipped away for only a second, the shock at her mother’s presence causing it.

But then the spell returned, even stronger than before. Mary stared at Anne and Catalina, palm still raised and smoking from the fire spell.

“You are an idiot.” Catalina cast a small glare back at Anne. But her gaze noticeably softened with a sharp concern upon seeing the burn still held under Anne’s hand.

“Yeah… Sorry. But right now I think we have bigger problems.” Anne said, slowly climbing to her feet. A pair of hands helped her up.

“Annie’s right. We have someone to free.” Kat pointed out, now standing beside Anne. The rest of the queens were gathered as well, staring right back at Mary.

“Anne, what do we need to know?” Cathy asked, not looking at the shadow elf. Jane was next to the rouge, beginning to heal the burns.

“The other two are already free.” Anne told them, letting out a sigh of relief as the stinging faded. “I have the potion that can free her, I just need to actually be able to give it to her.”

Immediately after Anne hurriedly explained, Mary launched another wave of fire towards them. Kat and Cathy were both playing a note and waving their staff, summoning water to douse the flames to steam seconds before it reached them.

The steam created a sort of smoke screen and the queens split.

Without words, they had a quick plan.

Kat and Cathy leapt out of either side of the steam first, racing across the side of the room, dodging and ducking blasts of fire. They began to launch small spells that served as distractions. Catalina and Jane soon followed them out.

While Mary’s attention was away from the steam, Anna and Anne did something different. The barbarian threw Anne up to the ceiling using a bit of magic to increase her strength. Anna was then leaping forward to help the other queens.

Anne vanished into the ceiling’s shadows, where Mary least expected her to come from.

Mary was being attacked from all angles, the attacks coming close to hitting, but doing nothing more than graze or miss entirely.

With all the distractions, Mary never noticed the shadow dropping from the ceiling.

Anne landed on Mary’s shoulders. The sudden force pushing down on her made Mary’s knees buckle and she went toppling to the floor, Anne proceeding to knock Mary out with the handle of her dagger.

Mary was out cold and Anne rolled over next to her before propping up in a sit next to the princess. She couldn’t stop the relieved sigh that escaped her.

They had freed Mary. They had freed all three of the children.

They had their kids back.

Catalina was next to Mary and Anne in less than a second, Mary between the two queens. The others swiftly followed.

“How much do I need to give her?” Jane asked, carefully taking the potion from Anne. She began to heal the hit to Mary’s head and the burns.

“The rest of it.” Anne answered, leaning back on her hands with a relieved sigh. It was silent for a moment as Jane healed, the group catching their breath.

Anne glanced up at Cathy and Kat. “I left Elizabeth and Edward up in one room together. Can you…?”

“We’ll get them.” Kat agreed, her and Cathy quickly rushing through the doors in that direction.

So the remaining four sat around Mary for a moment. But Anna and Jane noticed Catalina giving them a small stare.

Both understood and Anna was helping Jane stand. “I need to talk to Jane about something, we’ll be right over here if you need us.” Anna told the two, letting Jane guide her to a spot a little bit away.

Anne and Catalina sat in silence for a moment. Anne observed Catalina, watching the way the woman was looking at Mary with a sad smile on her face with a tint of concern.

“She’s okay…” Anne said, rubbing Catalina’s knuckle with a small smile. “And I’m sorry for running off…”

“If I know you, then you were trying to protect us.” Catalina said simply, her gaze flickering between Anne and Mary.

“I…” Anne didn’t know if she melted from embarrassment or a small happiness that Catalina knew her that well. “Yeah, I did.”

Catalina brought Anne’s hand up to press a kiss to the knuckles. “I’m not… too mad. Just please don’t do this again. You almost died.”

“I’ll do my best, mon ange.” Anne said, a joking smile on her lips.

Catalina noticed the smile, earning a fond chuckle. “All I can ask... You’re still in trouble, though.”

Anne groaned, but it was more playful than anything.

Catalina gave one last look to Mary, gently reaching out to caress her daughter’s cheek for a moment (Anne noticed the hesitation Catalina had before making the contact, she had done the same after all).

Then, the paladin stood up, giving Anne one last nod before she carefully made her way to Anna and Jane. The trio began to talk and Anne was certain it was about their next move.

Anne simply kept an eye on Mary, content to let the others handle this part. She felt pretty exhausted after that battle, only increased by Jane’s spell that also had a calming effect.

“THERE!”

The four queens all whipped around, finding a large group of guards staring back at them.

“Kill them! Keep the princess alive, the minister wants her and her siblings brought back to him!” The captain declared.

The other queens stepped forward to intercept the guards, leaving Anne by Mary. Kat and Cathy emerged from the hall, the two other children in their arms. Their eyes widened upon realizing exactly what was happening.

In a manner of seconds, a guard possessing magic fired a blast at the group, but something went wrong. Anne didn’t know why or how, but the spell ended up hitting the ceiling.

The roof above Mary and Anne began to collapse. Anne’s eyes widened at the sound of cracking and she was quickly throwing herself over Mary, trying to protect her.

Anne couldn’t stop the yell that escaped her lips as the roof collapsed over them, debris and dust flying. But… they weren’t crushed.

By some miracle, the wood and stone had gotten caught, leaving them a space under the collapsed roof where they now laid, huddled under wood and stone.

Past the ringing in her sensitive ears, Anne could hear yelling outside.

“ANNE! MARY!”

“YOU FOOLS! THE KING WANTED THE PRINCESS ALIVE!”

“ANNE, MARY! CAN EITHER OF YOU HEAR ME?!”

Anne could only groan and cough in response, clutching her head with one hand, the other managing to prop her up over Mary. That arm wavered dangerously and Anne pushed back so she didn’t fall on Mary. She sat on the floor, slowly reorienting herself to the new darkness and waiting for the ringing to fade.

It seemed the person outside might have heard her groan though, talking hurriedly to someone else. After that, Anne heard fighting, the sound of clanging metal, music, and spells.

Eventually the ringing and confusion did fade and Anne could only listen anxiously to the fighting outside, hoping that her friends would be safe. Faintly, she wondered if they would get her and Mary out before they died.

The adrenaline wore off and Anne could feel the remnants of burns across her body (the ones Jane didn’t get a chance to heal) begin to sting. But Anne did her best to ignore it, despite the hiss that would escape her every so often.

Eventually, Mary woke up too. 

(The fight was continuing, but seemed to almost be at an end. Anne knew it wasn’t the end of the story though, they had to get them out without causing the stone and wood to collapse further and who knew how long that would take.)

It started alright, Anne watching as she slowly blinked, waking up slowly. Mary stared at her for a moment through the darkness, making out her outline and bright emerald eyes. And then, Mary remembered.

A strangled gasp escaped her lips, her eyes widening in horror. She curled into herself, sitting up and tucking her knees to her chest.

The teenager stared at her shaking hands. The hands that had murdered people.

“Woah, it’s okay. Mary look at me.” It was Anne’s voice that made Mary jolt up. She was still trembling.

“What did I… what did I do?”

Anne’s heart broke upon hearing the sorrow and fear in that voice. This was a teenager. A teenager forced to murder people. A teenager breaking down in realization of exactly what she had done.

“I need you to breathe, Mary…” Anne tried to sooth, inching forward to hold onto Mary’s hands. “You’re safe now. You’ll never have to hurt another person again.”

Mary squinted through the darkness at her. “Boleyn… are you here to take me to hell?”

Anne couldn’t stop her eyebrow from raising. “Already condemned me to hell, huh?”

When Mary flinched, curling in further, Anne winced as she realized that was not the best joke to make. Really, she felt terrible for the girl, joking was the first comfort her mind went to. It was just that sometimes, she forgot to think before she spoke.

“No, kid. I’m not here to take you to hell. You’re alive and well and absolutely none of it was your fault.”

“You’re supposed to be dead.” Mary huffed, her breathing still not calmed but a defensive glare on her face. “Why did you free me, spirit?”

Anne couldn’t stop the small chuckle of amusement. “I’m no spirit, Mary. I’m alive. You can feel my hands, can’t you?”

Mary stared blankly at her through the darkness, her breathing calming slightly by the distraction. “But father said you died to an illness.”

Anne let out a spiteful snort. “Your father is a coward and a liar. I never died of an illness, and the other queens lived too. You saw them, didn’t you?” At Mary’s small nod Anne continued. She supposed the girl was too tired to really think about Anne being back. “That’s right. And now, he’ll never hurt you like this again.”

“Hurt me…? I was the one who killed those people!” Mary’s breathing picked up again and she ripped her hands away from Anne to stare at them. “I did it with my bare hands!”

Fire suddenly sparked from the palms of Mary’s hands. Anne backed up slightly at the sudden spark of magic. But through the light Anne could see the increasing horror on Mary’s face.

Anne was by her side again and gently placing her hands on Mary’s shoulders, one arm wrapping around Mary’s back.

“You must be exhausted, Mary… why don’t you dispel that and lay down for a little bit?”

“I can’t… I can’t!” Mary could only stare at the flames.

“You can. I know you can… just breathe with me, love…” Anne soothed.

“I hurt you… I hurt you… I killed them!” Mary choked out, the flames growing stronger with her emotions.

“I know I’m the last person you want to be telling you something like this. But absolutely none of it was your fault.” Anne told the teen, her arm wrapping a little tighter as she too stared into the flame. “All of it was Henry. He’s no father. He used you, he controlled you. Literally.”

In her head, Anne realized just how dead Henry was. Everything he had done only increased the queens’ rising tempers. His abandonment and abuse. Killing people and hurting people. And now this.

“I could’ve resisted!” Mary snapped back, Anne didn’t move away as the flames grew bigger. Her burns stung and for a moment, Anne thought Mary was going to set their small space on fire. “I almost broke free at first! But instead I bowed to his whims! I failed Elizabeth and Edward…” Just as quickly as her flames grew, the flames dimmed to the tiniest spark. “I failed mother…”

“Hey, no!” Anne turned so Mary was in front of her, the flame in Mary’s hands between them. “Listen to me, alright? Your mother adores you. She’s always looked for a way to see you again, all of these years. You did nothing to fail her. And you didn’t fail your siblings either. You failed nobody. You were forced to do the burnings, okay?”

Mary stared at her for a long moment before looking back to the flame. The disbelief was clear in her eyes.

But slowly, the flame dimmed to nothing and both fell silent.

Just as Anne thought she calmed Mary down to a manageable level, it looked like more memories of the burnings returned. Mary’s face suddenly clenched up with pain, horror, and disgust.

“I… screaming! The smell!”

Mary suddenly turned, vomiting. Anne only rubbed her back, pulling hair out of the way. She held the exhausted teen up on shaking knees, ignoring her own exhaustion.

“Let it out, Mary… breathe…”

Eventually, the teen stopped vomiting and Anne gently moved the both of them away from the vomit, laying Mary on her back after making sure she wouldn’t vomit again or choke.

Anne shook her head as she laid Mary down. Her night vision allowed her to keep an eye on Mary, who was simply closing her eyes, but her jaw was tense.

Anne couldn’t shake how broken her heart felt. A teenager was seeing death like this. Death that she was forced to cause. Mary thought of herself as a monster.

And Anne knew it would have lasting effects.

“Are you going to kill me…?”

For a moment, Anne only stared. And then, she slowly sat down next to Mary. She even threw her dagger to the other side of the space before laying on her back like Mary was.

“What makes you think that, Mary?”

“I…” there was a long pause. “Father… mother… everything…”

The sad part was, Anne knew there were probably several issues causing this line of thinking.

Henry’s influence for one, who knew what he had told the kids about them, especially after Cathy’s departure (Henry had already been saying small comments, Anne wouldn’t be surprised if he only increased the cruel stories of six evil queens). There was her history with Anne, before the curse. Maybe the brainwashing spell was still having a small effect on her. And the burnings…

“Mary. None of it was your fault.” Anne said gently, reaching over to take Mary’s hand. “Henry… he’s the one who put you under a spell, separated you and your mother so long ago. And maybe… I have some blame too.” She turned her head to meet Mary’s eyes. “But no one will be killing you over something you were forced to do. None of us are gonna let that happen.”

Mary’s eyes welled up with tears but she still stared almost blankly at Anne. For a moment, the room was filled with the sound of sobbing and the noises outside. But eventually, Mary calmed and the two fell into a silence, simply listening to everyone outside. At one point, Anne heard Catalina yelling at someone, earning a chuckle from the rogue.

“It’s true?”

“Hmm?” Anne glanced to Mary again.

“All six of you… all of you are alive. Even…”

“Lina’s alive too. And she can’t wait to see you again, promise.”

“I thought I would never see her again.” Mary let out a wistful sigh. “I thought she was dead…”

“She’s right outside, Mary.” Anne gave Mary a grin. “And once those guys get us out, your mom is going to kill me and then hold you hostage with affection.”

Mary couldn’t stop the snort of laughter. “Why is she going to kill you, Boleyn?”

“Being reckless.” Anne’s grin turned a little sheepish, but that mischievous glint never left her eyes. Yeah, they established Catalina wouldn’t kill her, but what was a little joke? “I was definitely not supposed to come and try to free you guys on my own.”

Mary was quiet, processing that bit of information. Anne was about to say something when calmly, “thank you.”

The thanks felt forced, like Mary didn’t want to be thanking someone. And Anne knew that Mary probably had that fear of being weak, not good enough, that her mother had. Thanking Anne probably took a lot of the teenager’s will.

“You don’t have to thank me.” Anne shook her head, even though her and Mary weren’t looking at each other. “I know it’s hard to do.”

Mary actually seemed to relax a bit at that, but the girl was still tense. She was trying to sort through the burnings, her mother being alive, her father’s brainwashing. It was all too much.

“Don’t think about that right now. Just rest. You used a lot of energy during that fight.”

Mary glanced at Anne, unable to see her. But the princess knew that silence wouldn’t help. “Elizabeth missed you. She talked about you whenever father wasn’t nearby.”

Anne felt her heart swell at that bit of knowledge. “And I missed her… I didn’t think she would remember me. She was so young…”

“I don’t think she ever spent a day not thinking about you at least once.” Mary nodded to herself. “She always asked what you were like out of father’s influence.” Something else sparked in Mary’s mind and she tensed. “Father… he will be coming for us.”

A small snarl escaped Anne’s lip, all of that joy gone. “I’d rather be cursed again before I let Henry near you three.”

Mary stared at her with narrowed eyes, trying to process two different things. “Even me?”

“You’re a good kid, Mary. You were just angry with me, nothing wrong with that. And of course… brainwashed.” Anne shrugged, giving Mary a small smile.

“I am not a child. I am the princess to this kingdom.” Mary huffed. But that familiar curious glimmer sparked in the princess’s eyes. “You… mentioned a curse?”

“That’s a long story…” Anne hummed. She felt tired and suddenly the burns stung a lot more. “Why don’t we just rest for awhile, hmm? The others will get us out any minute.”

Sure enough, the voices and sounds had gotten much closer and Anne was sure they’d break through any moment now.

“Alright…” a pause. “Again, I’m sorry, Boleyn.”

“Let’s worry about it all later, yeah? We already talked a bit.” Anne tried to pull her hand away, give Mary some space but the girl actually clung onto the grip. “Just relax, Mary… I’m sure you’re tired after everything, hmm? You’ll need your energy for when you see your mother. She’ll be happy to see you.”

Mary’s grip relaxed and both of them fell into silence. They simply waited for the others to reach them.

And after a few minutes, Anne could feel herself drifting off. Next to her, Mary did the same. Despite the noises outside they fell asleep, the exhaustion from their earlier battle finally taking its hold.

~~||~~||~~

Eventually, the group did free Mary and Anne. Upon finding the two laying still, Catalina thought the worst. The relief was incredible upon realizing that they were both simply asleep.

Catalina had carefully picked up her daughter. So much taller and older than the last time Catalina had been able to see her. She kept close to Anna, who was carrying Anne, cradling her daughter close.

Jane was holding Edward and Cathy held Elizabeth. Kat kept guard, keeping an eye out and flute at the ready.

They went back to their camp on the outskirts of town, away from the damage and the guards.

Jane whisked Anne off to a corner under a tree to make sure the burns had been healed (much easier than poison), reluctantly leaving Edward with Anna.

Kat had followed after her cousins. Cathy sat with Elizabeth, who was slowly waking up.

This left Catalina with Mary.

It was a while before the girl woke up. During that time, Catalina sat by her side, watching over her daughter closely.

The princess was in a rather deep sleep, exhausted from everything that had happened. Occasionally, she would become restless in her sleep, her whole body tensing, but she would relax just as quickly as she tensed.

Catalina couldn’t stop the anxiety and worry in her chest. But all she could do was wait for Mary to wake up.

And eventually, she did.

Even with Anne’s reassurance, Mary woke up just like she did earlier. The talk with Anne was no fix and Mary thought of it as mostly an agreement to deal with it later.

She woke up with a gasp for breath. She remembered everything she did now. She squeezed her eyes closed, curling in on herself with a choked sob.

How could she live with herself after all of that? After being unable to stop herself from becoming a monster.

An achingly familiar Spanish lullaby was hummed. One Mary faintly remembered from her childhood.

After a moment it began to calm Mary. The teenager’s tense muscles relaxed and the memories were pushed to the back of her mind. Fingers ran through her hair and Mary opened her eyes.

Catalina was smiling sadly down at her. “Mary…”

“Mother?” Mary whispered.

“That’s right, Princesa. I’m right here.” Catalina’s voice was also a whisper. “By the gods… you’ve grown so much…”

Mary pulled herself up, twisting to grab her mother in a desperate hug. “Madre…”

“It’s alright… I’ve got you now.” 

“Madre, I’m a monster.” Mary sobbed, not bothering to hide the tears.

“Mary—!”

“You and I both know I am! Why else would those people be dead?!”

“Mary, look at me…” Once her daughter finally looked at her, Catalina continued. “You are not a monster. Would a monster regret and panic over what happened?”

“I…” Mary trailed off, having no rebuttal.

“That’s right, Princesa. If you were a monster, you would love what you did.” Catalina shook her head, the sheer determination taking Mary aback. “And none of it was ever your fault. It was Henry. Henry was the one who put you under a spell.”

“I… I could’ve resisted harder. I could’ve…” Mary tried weakly. She was a monster! Why didn’t her mother, a paladin of all people, understand?

“No, Mary… it was all Henry…” Catalina took a deep breath. Mary really believed that she was the monster… “He was the one who made you do it. And he will never have such power over you again. I swear it to you.”

Mary didn’t believe her. She couldn’t at the moment. But Henry… Mary could believe that part. “You swear it?”

“I swear.”

With that, Mary began to relax. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see was the burnings. The last, fleeting look of terror on a person’s face before the flames engulfed them. The flames she casted.

But she managed to push those memories away for the moment, focusing on her mother’s steady presence. Silence overtook them, but it was calm.

“I thought you were dead.”

Catalina turned back to Mary with a sigh. “I never died… and I’m sorry for leaving you with Henry. I don’t think I can ever apologize enough.”

Mary looked to the ground, contemplative. “I don’t blame you… I blame father. Maybe Boleyn…”

Catalina winced at Anne’s last name, but relaxed slightly upon registering the ‘maybe.’ “Your father… no, he isn’t your father… Henry’s changed. Perhaps once he was good, maybe he never really was. But he’s changed for the worst. He’s become twisted and cruel.”

“You’re all trying to stop him, aren’t you? That’s why you’re all together.” Mary asked, looking at the other queens around them, her gaze lingering on her siblings and their interactions with their own mothers.

“Yes… I’m afraid I might have to leave you for a little bit longer…” Catalina finished in a whisper.

Mary didn’t seem angry. “I’m not worried. I think… if anyone can defeat him, it will be all of you.”

And besides, Mary thought, if the queens failed then it wouldn’t be as if she would be alive long enough to despair for it… and if not death, then brainwashed again…

Mary shook that thought away with a deep inhale through her nose. “So… lets spend this time together. And I’ll be there to greet you again once you all win.”

Catalina brightened, tugging Mary into her side. “Do you want to talk, or simply sit for a while? I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

“Talk, please?” Mary didn’t mention that talking would push away the memories more than silence ever would.

So they did.

~~||~~||~~

“Anna?”

The barbarian glanced to the boy sitting next to her under the tree. “Yeah, Eddie?”

“What’s going on?”

The boy and woman stared at each other for a moment before Anna carefully spoke. “Well, Edward… you and your sisters were in trouble. So we came and rescued you.”

Edward’s eyes lit up. “Like in the stories?”

Anna laughed, looking back up to the sky. “That’s right, like in the stories.”

“Is she my mother?” Anna’s head whipped back down again at the question. Edward was staring at Jane, where she stood with Anne and Kat.

“She… she is Eddie. How did you know that?” Anna asked curiously, keeping her gaze on the child.

“Father has her portrait in the hall.” Edward blinked up at Anna. “Father said Mama died.” Edward looked so confused.

Anna froze for a moment, remembering the sight of Jane laying in the wreckage of the carriage. “She, uh… she almost did, kiddo. But she did live. And she’s so happy to have you back.”

“Then why isn’t she with us right now?” Edward questioned again as he looked over to where Jane was with Anne and Kat.

“She had to heal a friend of ours. She’ll be over here in just a little bit and then you can get to know her, hmm?” Anna perked up upon seeing Jane make her way over. The cleric’s gaze locked into Edward and tears sprung into the corner of her eyes again. “See, here she comes now.”

Edward and Jane only stared at each other, Jane kneeling to Edward’s height.

“Hello, Edward…” Jane choked a little on a hidden sob, her anxiety clearly taking a hold. “Do you… do you remember me?”

Edward nodded, brightening slightly. “Father has your portrait hanging in the hall! He says you’re his favorite and that you’re my mother!”

For a moment, Jane and Anna both tensed.

“That’s right Edward. I’m your mother.” Jane finally said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you, dear.”

“It’s okay, where did you go?” Edward asked, looking back at her curiously.

Jane couldn’t stop the small laugh at how curious the boy was. Though, it was to be expected in the situation. “I got into… a little problem. But Anna came along and rescued me.”

“Just like you all did for us?”

“That’s right, Edward. Just like we did for you.”

“I’m glad! Anna’s nice!”

Anna laughed at the boy’s praise. “I’m glad to hear that you think so, Kiddo.”

They fell into a gentle silence. Jane was still realizing that her son was in front of her, talking to her.

Edward hummed, tilting his head. “Are we gonna go back to father together?”

Jane froze in her tracks. Of course… Edward still seemed to love his father. Upon seeing that Jane couldn’t answer, Anna spoke up. “I don’t think so, Eddie. Your father’s busy…”

“Is father bad?” Edward looked from Anna back to Jane.

“I…” Jane’s mouth felt dry. Should she tell the truth? “Why do you think he is, lovely?”

“He yelled at Mary and Lizzie a lot. He lied about you. I remember him trying to do something to me and Lizzie. Mary tried to protect us but he did something…” Edward trailed off, confusion clear in his eyes.

Anna and Jane shared a glance. Did Edward not remember like Mary and Elizabeth seemed to? Both queens simply chalked it up to Edward being a younger age than Elizabeth and Mary, after all Mary remembered more than Elizabeth from what they had gathered.

(Edward would remember bits and pieces later on. He would become timid around Mary for a while until Jane finally figured out the problem and explained ever so patiently what had actually happened.)

Anna gave Jane a patient nod. Edward deserves to know.

“No… no Edward, your father’s not a good person.” Jane lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry.”

Jane blinked when Edward wrapped her in as much of a hug as he could, arms over her shoulders. “It’s okay, mother.”

Jane let out a watery laugh, pulling Edward fully into her arms. “You’re so smart… I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there for you, so so sorry…”

Edward didn’t reply, simply nuzzling further into his mother’s arms.

Anna knelt by both, pulling them into her arms. They stayed that way for a long while, Jane relishing in being able to hold the son she never got to see become such a smart young boy.

She would be making up for lost time now, just like her fellow mothers. And Jane knew Anna and Edward would forever be with her, be it physically or in spirit.

~~||~~||~~

“You have to talk to her eventually.”

“I know, Chaton. But… what if she doesn’t want to talk to me?”

Kat sighed, watching the other queens interact with the kids. Elizabeth sat with Cathy and kept casting glances over their way. Kat knew they were having a similar conversation.

“Annie… Elizabeth’s always looked up to you. Whenever Henry wasn’t around she’d usually find some way to mention you.”

Anne looked away from Kat, fixing her gaze on a small bird perched in a tree nearby. A mother bird checking on its chicks. “I’ve never been able to be there for her, Chaton.” Anne watched, numb, as the mother bird flew away again. “I was always gone.”

“You’ve worked yourself into a spiral, Anne.” Kat took her cousin’s hand, giving it a squeeze to draw Anne’s attention back to her. “Even as a shadow, you watched over her… I think that says something. And I promise that Elizabeth adores you.”

Anne simply gave her a small huff.

“Maman?”

Anne’s head jolted up to look at the speaker. Her eyes had widened at the familiar voice, it was only aged slightly.

Sure enough, Elizabeth stood in front of her, Cathy at her side. Cathy gave the preteen a nod and Kat gave Anne’s hand another squeeze before the bard and wizard left them alone.

For a moment, Elizabeth and Anne could only stare at each other.

“Elizabeth?” Anne finally whispered, her voice croaked with the tears in the corners of her vision. “You… remember me?”

“I… I do.” Elizabeth whispered, not moving from her spot.

Anne still stared from her spot under the tree, leaning forward. “I… I’m happy to hear that. You were so young the last time you saw me.”

“It’s kind of faded. But I remember pieces. And I saw a portrait of you…” Elizabeth mumbled, clearly still in a bit of shock. “They said you died.”

Anne softened, her shoulders slumping as she leaned back against the tree again. Despite the sudden loss of energy, she kept her gaze locked with Elizabeth’s. Anne remembered what she told Maggie.

“Who… who said I never died?”

It wasn’t a joke like last time. It had to be forced from her lips, choked out. The pain of the last time it was said had been carefully hidden away. There was nothing Anne could do to hide it this time.

Elizabeth froze at the sobbed response. But she made no reply of her own.

“I didn’t think I would get to see you again, mon coeur.” Anne’s voice was a whisper as she smiled tearfully.

Elizabeth took a small step forward. She wanted to rush forward and hug her mother. But… was it really her?

“I…” Elizabeth fidgeted, looking so painfully hopeful. “Can you prove that you’re really… you?”

Anne blinked for a second before nodding with a small smile. “Smart girl…” she stood up but didn’t step towards her daughter. “Well… You always loved to draw. You were always a fussy child, but you calmed easily. Let’s see... And… I have my locket… the one with your picture. I never went a day without looking at it after I was freed.”

Anne was playing with the mentioned locket, allowing Elizabeth to get a glance at the gold piece of jewelry. That was what convinced her. Elizabeth stared Anne in the eye as she took slow steps forward. At the end, she picked up her pace to a fast walk before throwing her arms around her mother’s waist, burying her face into the woman’s shirt.

Anne froze for only a second before a soft smile appeared on her face. She closed her eyes and pulled Elizabeth as close as she could. For several minutes, both could only cry as they reunited.

Anne moved the both of them to sit down under the tree. They sat there, not moving from each other’s arms. Anne tensed upon hearing a question fumble from Elizabeth’s lips.

“Where did you go… Why did you leave?”

“Mon coeur… I never left you.” Anne whispered, pulling back to look Elizabeth in the eyes. “Tell me, do you remember a shadow?”

Immediately, the girl’s eyes widened with realization. “That… that was you?” At Anne’s nod, Elizabeth gained a fresh wave of tears in her eyes. “I… you really were with me… that’s why father was so insistent on you not being real…”

Anne nodded, mentally cursing Henry. “I didn’t want to leave, either…”

“Father…” Elizabeth muttered, quickly figuring out the cause behind Anne’s curse.

After all, if her father wasn’t afraid to brainwash her and her siblings, then who was to stop him from cursing her mother?

Anne nodded with a shuddered breath before pulling Elizabeth into another hug, this one seemed even more desperate. “He cursed me to be a shadow. To be nothing. I couldn’t hold you… I couldn’t… I couldn’t…”

“You’re free, Maman. You’re free!” Elizabeth tried to reassure, but she was crying just as much as Anne was. It had been so long since they had seen each other, Elizabeth barely had any memories of her mother.

“I am, I am… And I won’t ever leave you again.”

After that, all they could do for a while was cry.

~~||~~||~~

The next morning, Cathy told everyone a plan. Take the kids back to the ladies’ house. Stay for a few days with them, and then return to gathering the army.

Henry’s main form of gathering sacrifices was gone. But everyone knew he was going to simply execute people himself. And the old man capturing souls had gotten away, most likely getting the souls to the king. The guards that retreated were soon to arrive for them as well. So they had to keep on their toes.

And all three of the kids understood this, even little Edward.

So they would treasure the next few days they had with their reunited mothers. And when they went off to save the kingdom yet again, they would cheer for them. They knew they could take back the kingdom.

So after talking with the civilians, who were more than happy to help with their cause, everyone packed up camp, preparing to head back to regroup with the ladies.

The kids chattered happily with the queens as they finished gathering camp and set out on the road. Everyone noticed the haunted look in their young eyes, Mary’s being the most prominent. They had either slaughtered people or watched and trained to do it themselves one day.

But the queens tried to keep the mood up, wanting to help the kids away from the dark place (it didn’t stop the deep talks over the next few days).

Anne and Catalina shared a glance and smiles as they began walking the path. The couple was just happy to see each other happy. They had their children back.

They would have to tell the two that they were dating at some point. But honestly, Anne and Catalina didn’t think it would be a major problem.

“Come on, mon coeur. Let’s talk as we walk. I want to know more about you.” Anne said, keeping a hand between Elizabeth’s shoulder blades.

“You already know about me.” Elizabeth rebutted. “I want to learn more about you, Maman!”

“Yeah, but I want to hear about you from you… so let’s trade stories, hmm?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the fight wasn’t disappointing! I constantly felt like it was too short but I didn’t know how I could have made it longer. (I’ll probably think of something later and proceed to scream)
> 
> And yeah, maybe the talks were a little short too, but I’m pretty satisfied with them. There would be a lot of emotions, so who says it wouldn’t be more crying than talking?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pair of siblings have a small mission and a festival is thrown!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWs: memories of burnings (minor)

“I cannot believe you talked me into this.”

Elizabeth turned back to give Mary a grin. “It’s because you love me!”

Mary rolled her eyes but the amused smirk showed her amusement. “No, it’s because I’m curious. Now where did they go?”

It was three days after the children had been freed. And they have been having the most fun they think they have ever had. It was a dangerous quest, they were dealing with monsters, thieves, and trauma.

But being able to journey with their mothers, learn about them and finally be free was a joyous opportunity.

They were finally free of their father’s influence.

Edward was getting to know all of the queens, intrigued by Catalina and Anne with a familiar, child-like innocence. He stuck to Jane and Anna the most though, talking excitedly with his mother and pointing out things they would see on their journey.

Mary’s woken up with nightmare after nightmare. She was still struggling with everything she had done. But she had reconciled with other queens, even Anne, who she remembered calming her down when they were trapped. Mary was simply happy to finally be free and with her mother.

And Elizabeth was absolutely joyful. All her life, she thought her mother, who she had fading memories of, was dead. But she was alive! Alive and well and so wonderful. And Jane, Anna, Kat, and Cathy were all safe and alive too! And of course, Catalina was just as nice as the others! It was a dream come true for Elizabeth.

But right now, the two youngest girls of the group were on a mission.

“There they are!” Elizabeth points out their mothers, walking down the path.

The two girls were following their mothers out of curiosity. Over their time accompanying the queens back to the ladies’ town, they had noticed their mothers slipping off together when they had free time. And the two were intrigued.

So far, nothing really happened.

Catalina and Anne had simply walked the streets together, looking through a marketplace. Things seemed to get interesting at one point when they stopped at a flower shop, coming out with a flower each weaved into their hair. The two looked blissful.

And that made Mary and Elizabeth happy themselves.

(Of course, there were the moments of panic every time they almost got caught. Every so often, one of the two former queens would look around, almost catching Elizabeth and Mary following them.)

They had actually been about to call it quits when their mothers had stopped at a café, taking the outside table and sitting across from each other.

“Let’s keep watching a little longer! Maybe something will happen!” Elizabeth had insisted when Mary expressed the desire to head back to the inn.

“Alright, alright. It has been fun, I suppose.” Mary admitted, an amused smile on her lips as she rejoined Elizabeth.

Only to see that Anne was glancing back in their direction once again. Mary quickly pulled Elizabeth back behind the wall.

They both let out a breath of relief once Anne and Catalina went back to simply talking.

They continued eating and chatting for several minutes. Elizabeth and Mary found themselves getting bored.

“I guess they just eat together sometimes.” Mary finally declared.

“Yeah, I dunno what we were so worried about!” Elizabeth beamed back at her.

“Let’s go rejoin the others at the—“

And then, as Mary spoke, they looked to their mothers again.

Only to find them locked in a kiss.

Both of the girls’ jaws dropped. Thoughts immediately raced their brains. Their minds were processing, but they didn’t get long to do so.

“YOU THERE!”

That snapped Mary out of it and she was quickly looking to the side. Only to see a group of guards heading towards them, anger and determination in their eyes.

Mary stared at the guards, paling.

They weren’t looking anywhere else, right at the two of them. They had recognized them.

Mary was spinning, practically shoving Elizabeth to get her to run. “Elizabeth, run!”

Elizabeth, who hadn’t noticed the guards squawked and stumbled at the sudden push. She nearly tripped as Mary proceeded to grab her hand and pulled them into a sprint.

“GET THEM!”

Elizabeth looked back and noticed the guards. Her eyes widened and she pushed herself to the same pace as Mary.

Townspeople called out in surprise and shock as the two girls darted between them, frantically pushing themselves to get away. The guards cried out in anger behind them, metal armor and weapons rattling as they pushed through the crowd, gazes locked on Mary and Elizabeth.

Mary quickly turned a corner but froze upon seeing that it was an alley. An alley with a dead end.

They spun and froze upon seeing the guards blocking off their escape.

“Get behind me, Lizzie.” Mary snapped and Elizabeth complied, pressing behind Mary but holding onto the older girl’s clothes.

Mary didn’t want to use fire magic ever again. But they couldn’t afford to be captured. She let the flames dance on her fingertips, trying to squash the panic and the screams that pounded in the back of her skull.

She wasn’t under the spell. She isn’t a monster. She isn’t she isn’t she isn’t—

A figure dropped between the kids and guards. Both groups stopped in their tracks.

“Maman!” Elizabeth called, glee in her eyes.

Sure enough, Anne stood in front of them, staring the guards down and fingers resting on her holstered dagger. “I suggest leaving the girls alone.”

The captain glared back at her before gesturing to the other guards. “Get her!”

Anne was quickly ducking one’s blade and stabbing him in his exposed shoulder. She spun on her heel, kicking another back and launching a throwing knife at another’s leg.

Mary had a sinking feeling Anne couldn’t fight that entire group of guards. The fire still danced around her fingers and she quickly stepped forward to assist, but a gloved hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“Mother?!” Mary gaped upon seeing her mother now at her side, somehow appearing even with the fact that it was a dead end alley.

“Come on, we have to go!” Catalina said, taking Elizabeth by the hand and guiding Mary by the shoulder. Then, shadows wrapped around them. Mary yelped and closed her eyes.

Upon opening them, she saw another alley entirely, bare of guards and Anne. She didn’t have time to process it before Catalina was speaking to them.

“Are you two alright?” She asked with concern.

“Yes.” Mary answered, opening and closing her hands to rid the last embers of fire. Elizabeth nodded her head.

Then, Mary realized who wasn’t with them. “Boleyn is still back there!”

“I know. She’ll be okay!” Catalina told her quickly. Upon seeing a bit of fear still in Elizabeth’s eyes she squeezed the girl’s hand. “I promise you.”

Sure enough, a moment later, Anne joined them.

She stepped from the shadows, quickly opening her arms as Elizabeth lunged at her. Catalina sighed in relief, giving Mary a smile. “Told you she’d be alright.”

“They didn’t hurt you two, did they?” Anne asked, looking over Elizabeth and even looking at Mary.

“No, you showed up just in time.” Mary answered with a grateful smile.

“You looked amazing, Maman!” Elizabeth was absolutely beaming.

“Thank you, Mon coeur.” Anne looked over both of them, backing out of the hug slightly. A knowing smirk was on her lips. “Now, who wants to tell us exactly what they were doing before the guards came along?”

Mary and Elizabeth both froze. The former glanced to her own mother to see that same knowing stare.

“You saw us?” Elizabeth asked sheepishly.

“We’re used to keeping an eye out.” Catalina teased. “We’re not mad, just curious.”

Mary opened her mouth but Elizabeth spoke before she could. “I just wanted to see where you two go alone so often! I dragged Mary along…”

“You didn’t drag me along.” Mary huffed a laugh. “I was curious too.”

“And are you two satisfied then?” Anne asked with a laugh.

And that was when Mary fully processed exactly what she had seen. She spun to Catalina. “You and Boleyn are together?!”

Catalina couldn’t hold back the laugh at that. “Is it a problem, Princesa?”

“Not at all!” Mary said quickly. “As long you’re happy! But I just—! Boleyn?!”

“Hey!” Anne gave a mocked gasp of offense.

The rouge’s attention was quickly dragged back to Elizabeth. “I’m happy for you!”

Anne softened immediately. “Thank you again, Mon Coeur. It makes me happy to hear that.”

“How long have you two been together?” Mary asked now, her shock fading down to show more intrigue.

“Since before we rescued you. Perhaps a few weeks or months before?” Catalina looked to Anne for confirmation.

“Sounds about right.” Anne confirmed.

“You should’ve told us!” Elizabeth huffed.

“Sorry, Elizabeth.” Catalina gave her a fond laugh. “We were trying to wait for a better time… but when we saw you following we couldn’t resist… or more like your mother couldn’t resist.”

“Hey! You were just as on board with the idea!” Anne gave her an exaggerated pout.

Catalina only laughed, moving to Anne’s side to kiss her on the cheek. Anne melted under the affection and Mary couldn’t find herself angry anymore.

(She wasn’t even angry at the relationship. More so that she hadn’t been told for this long.)

“As long as you two are happy…” Mary shook her head fondly.

Catalina was absolutely beaming as the acceptance from her daughter, striding over to pull her into a hug.

The group stood together, talking quietly. They couldn’t stay much longer. They had stirred trouble and needed to alert the others. But this moment… It was nice for all four of them.

Catalina and Anne shared smiles.

It made them happy that their daughters accepted their relationship. They only seemed shocked, and even then it was more intrigue than anything.

And if Mary tried to threaten Anne later (“hurt my mother and I don’t care how scared I am, you will feel my flames.”) then no one needed to know.

The two adults finally guided the girls out of the alley, keeping a close eye on the now searching guards.

“Let’s go find the others. We’ll have to leave town as soon as possible.”

~~||~~||~~

It was several days later that they reached the ladies’ town.

It’s been rather fortified, the people they gathered making it a much larger town than it had been before. Walls had been put in place but they had swiftly been allowed through, the rebel guards recognizing them quickly.

The ladies were still in the same house so the queens soon found it, even as they got lost in the expanding town and military camp.

As they walked up to the house, the group could hear hooves rushing for them, followed seconds later by a familiar friend slamming into Anne, the both of them managing to keep on their feet.

“Mags!”

“Annie!”

The queens all laughed and were smiling as the other three ladies reached them.

“Oh Joan, it’s wonderful to see you again!”

“Maria!”

“Bessie, get over here!”

The chatter was rushed and excited before the ladies noticed the children. They paused for a long moment before quickly reaching their sides.

“You’re okay!”

“We are!”

“I’m so sorry I left you with Henry…”

“You didn’t have a choice!”

“I’m so happy to see you again!”

“Me too!”

The group chattered excitedly, the children and ladies excited to see each other again as they entered the house. They talked for what seemed to be hours until well into the afternoon, preparing dinner and sitting down together in the living room where they talked about strategies and plans, how the rebels were coming along, and simply told stories to each other.

It was after they ate that Joan finally brought something up.

“Oh!”

Everyone jolted a bit, startled by the sudden noise of realization. Joan flushed a bit at that but continued with just as much energy.

“You’re all back just in time for the festival!” Joan looked excited.

Bessie perked up with an idea. “It can be a celebration for your return!”

“A festival?” Anna asked, eyebrow raised.

“The town’s been planning a festival for a few days now. We wanted something to cheer everyone up!” Maggie explained, a wide grin on her face.

Maria nodded along. “We’ll have games, vendors, and dancing. At the end, we figured the town could gather for performances and stories.”

“You have it all figured out, hmm?” Cathy asked, but she looked rather curious at the prospect.

“Yep!” Bessie agreed. “It will take place in a few days! You should stay and enjoy it!”

“I think it sounds wonderful.” Mary added, looking to the queens. After the past days of traveling, a relaxing festival sounded very intriguing.

The queens thought so too… but they had a quest to finish.

“And I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, Princesa.” Catalina looked apologetic as she placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “But we need to get back to gathering troops.

“What?!” Maggie and Bessie both exclaimed at the same time. Joan looked sad and Maria was frowning, arms crossed. The kids had frowns on their faces as well.

“You’re all going to leave after you just got here?” Joan asked. The half elf looked at Jane specifically, her expression not unsimilar to a kicked puppy.

“I’m sorry, love.” Jane looked just as apologetic as Catalina did. “But the quest isn’t over…”

“That doesn’t mean you can take a few days off to celebrate how far we’ve gotten.” Maria commented.

“Ladies, we appreciate the idea, but we really need to get back to gathering troops!” Anne was the one who said. Elizabeth stared at her mother with a sad frown.

“We just came here to leave the kids with you.” Jane said, smiling sadly down at Edward.

“You’re really going to pass some relaxation up?” Bessie asked with a frown.

“We can’t. Not with Henry…” Kat sighed. She had been looking forward to this idea of a festival.

“There’s still plenty of time to stop Henry!” Maria finally put her foot down. “You are going to take a break and enjoy this festival! All of you deserve it!”

“But—!”

“No buts!” Maggie interjected. “You’ve all been running yourselves ragged on this quest!”

“Let us do this for you, please?” Joan asked.

“It can be a morale boost!” Bessie insisted, stomping a hoof in excitement. “The rebels have been working hard too!”

“We’ll give the guards shifts, so we won’t be unguarded.” Maria stated, nodding to herself.

Jane glanced down as Edward tugged at her sleeve. The kids had been quiet through the exchange. “Mama, I think it sounds fun! Can we please?”

Elizabeth was doing the same to Anne. Even Mary looked rather interested in the idea. The youngest two both looked so excited by the prospect and no one quite had the heart to say no.

“It does sound fun.” Kat hummed.

“Alright… okay. The festival sounds nice.” Catalina relented, an amused and tired smile on her face.

“Good, now come rest for awhile! You only just got here!” Maria said, guiding everyone to bed.

(Even with the order to relax over the next few days, the queens tried to overwork themselves in helping to prepare, not used to being still for so long. The ladies had them sit down and the queens talked. They actually ended up scolding each other for overworking themselves. They talked about all of it and spent the rest of the time relaxing as best as they could.)

~~||~~||~~

The festival was beautiful.

Strings of lights were strung up from post to post, giving light to the carts and shops along the streets. People were already enjoying it, a pleasant chatter filling the air as they enjoyed the festivities.

The queens, ladies, and kids were ready to join them.

The ladies were giving them farewells and heading off to help prepare for the finale and enjoy the festivals themselves. The kids were also heading off, Mary keeping Elizabeth and Edward close to her as they agreed to check in with their mothers later. This left the queens, who soon split into their couples and headed off.

Catalina and Anne stuck close, hand in hand as they took in the festival around them.

The two talked happy, blissfully together in such a happy atmosphere. The ladies had been right, relaxing like this was nice.

They soon came across the street dedicated to games. The first one they say was the biggest one.

It was a fenced off area, made to be a fake dueling ground. Real swords had been made into much less lethal weapons, perfect for sparring. An armored knight stood in the makeshift ring, beckoning people to fight him as a crowd had gathered.

Lined along the table next to them was a hoard of stuffed animals, all made by a group of toy makers and clothes makers that had joined the army. Prizes like this had been made for every game.

Anne playfully nudged Catalina. “He’s impressive, but I bet you could kick his ass in seconds.”

“Why don’t we find out?” Catalina tilted her head contemplative. And then, before Anne could snap out of her surprise, the paladin carefully moved to step forward. “I take your challenge!”

The knight recognized her quickly. “Of course, my queen!”

“None of that.” Catalina admonished, taking the sword offered by the attendant. “I simply want to enjoy myself here. I am no one’s queen yet.”

“I understand.” The knight agreed before taking a stance. “The first to get knocked to the ground loses.”

Catalina nodded, taking her own.

Anne shook her head with an amused laugh. She really should have seen this coming, she thought as her surprise quickly vanished.

A crowd had formed around the challengers now and Anne watched, fully ready to witness Catalina sweep the floor with the knight.

And she did.

The spar lasted for several minutes, the two going back and forth. Through the entire match, Catalina kept sending Anne smirks and winks that had Anne both blushing and laughing.

It finally ended when Catalina swept under his next swing and kicked him in the back, sending him toppling to the ground.

The knight laughed and gave Catalina praise for her fighting skill. Catalina was returning the favor happily as the crowd around them cheered. Anne was beaming with sheer pride as Catalina made her way over, a prize now in hand.

Catalina held the golden lion out to Anne with a smile. “For you, my lady.”

Anne eagerly took the lion into her arms, beaming back at Catalina. “Thank you, Ma Reine.”

Catalina looked both proud of herself and happy that Anne liked the gift. “Of course, Mi Alma.”

From there, they continued down the street, Catalina’s adrenaline from the quick spar slowly fading away.

Something soon caught Anne’s eye and she was tugging Catalina over, excitedly.

A knife throwing competition.

Targets were lined up and ready to be hit. A similar table of prizes was set up and a man was conducting the event. A woman who attempted the game was walking away dejectedly, joining the crowd watching those playing.

And Anne wasn’t going to pass this opportunity up.

“Keep him safe for me?” Anne gave Catalina a wink and Catalina chuckled, keeping the lion safe in her arms.

Anne quickly walked up and took the daggers from the man. She only hummed upon realizing that they were rigged. It would explain why the man looked so smug.

For a trained knife thrower though, the problem was easily corrected.

Anne tossed one up and down for a moment before beginning to walk down the lane. She passed the first target and threw the knife, correcting the angle and using enough force so it would go far enough and stick.

The audience behind her gasped. No one had been able to stick the knives to any target that entire time. The vendor gaped and Anne ignored them all as she kept walking. Catalina couldn’t hold back her laugh as the next knife stuck too, earning even more awe.

Knife after knife stuck in each target. Dead center.

After, Anne looked back at the vendor with a prideful smirk. “I think I would like to choose a prize now.”

If Anne and Catalina both laughed when the man practically scrambled over to the prize table with a stuttered, “of course my queen!” Then neither would admit it.

Catalina couldn’t see what prize Anne picked and as she got closer, the green rouge held it behind her back.

“A prize, my lady.” Anne quoted Catalina with a wink, now holding out the green dragon plushie. Catalina softened upon seeing it and was quick to trade for it with the lion.

“Thank you.” Catalina said, leaning forward to kiss Anne on the cheek.

Anne flushed but gave her a grin. “I couldn’t let my queen go without a prize, now could I?”

They continued walking through the festival together. (And later, they would name the stuffed animals after each other.)

~~||~~||~~

Jane and Anna had made their way through the crowd, pressed to each other’s sides. They tasted the fresh food and played some games.

The married couple used sign language for their conversations, Jane not able to hear Anna well over the bustling crowd.*

But it was alright. The two were content to simply be side by side and enjoy the festivities.

At some point, a group of children had noticed and recognized them. They had reached the two quickly.

“Are you the queens?!”

“Two of them, ja!” Anna agreed with a laugh, leaning to their heights. “And who might you lot be?”

The kids went around, introducing themselves, Anna translating one by one to Jane, who beamed and greeted all of them.

“What are you doing with your hands?” A little boy asked curiously. 

“Oh! It’s called sign language. Jane and I communicate with our hands because it’s hard for Jane to hear sometimes!” Anna paused, an idea sparking in her mind. “Would you all like to learn?”

That earned her excitement and agreements from the group and Anna was quickly informing Jane, the two taking the kids somewhere better to sit where they could learn.

After several minutes of laughter and excitement as they taught the kid some sign language, the children eventually went running off to enjoy more of the festival. Although, not without using Anna as a human jungle gym at one point and also asking to see both of their magic and powers.

The wives sat at the fountain's edge for a moment, simply taking in each other, the joy of the past few minutes, and the festival.

Anna soon signed to Jane, quickly asking if she was okay. Jane let out a small laugh, signing as she poke, “I’m just fine, dear.”

“Let’s get away from the crowd.” Anna told her in both words and sign before guiding her through the crowd.

“Where are we going?” Jane asked once they got out of the crowd’s range, passing under the gate leading to the paths out of town.

“Well, the festival’s been fun, but it’s rather loud, ja?” Anne explained, a fond smile on her face. “So, I figured we could go on one of our walks… it’s been a while.”

Jane softened, realization and adoration appearing in her eyes. “Oh, dear… that sounds wonderful.”

“Ja?!” Anna looked proud and relieved as Jane took her hand, the blond woman now taking the lead. “And we can still be back in time for the rest of the festival!”

“Then let’s go relax…” Jane said, leading Anna into the forest.

The festival was fun, but being together like this was all they really needed. Be it talking or silence, presence alone was always their comfort.

And if they stayed in the forest clearing up until the festival’s finale, sharing sweet kisses and “I love you’s” then that could be their little secret.

~~||~~||~~

Kat and Cathy didn’t want to do anything besides be together.

The duo wandered the streets for a long time, taking in the lights and festivities. They soon found themselves in a café, sitting across from each other and nursing cups of hot chocolate.

“This is nice.” Kat said, smiling softly and her head resting on one hand as she took in the laughing and smiling people.

“It is.” Cathy sighed happily, taking a sip from her mug. Her attention was more on her girlfriend than the crowd. “I’m glad the ladies convinced us to stay.”

Kat hummed back, just as happy and blissful.

As they finished up and Kat went to grab something, Cathy quickly checked her pocket. She let out a sigh of relief upon seeing that whatever object she was looking for was still there.

They soon finished their hot chocolate and the cookies Kat had gotten them. They then returned to the streets, arm in arm. The couple soon came across a performance.

A group of bards were playing music, people dancing to the beat together. They stopped, Kat perking up at the melody.

Cathy laughed and was quickly guiding her over to watch the performance. They watched for several minutes, leaning together as they listened to the melodies.

The group of bards were soon playing a slow song, all the couples on the floor gravitating to dance together. The performer in Kat was calling her to dance.

Kat pulled Cathy with her to the group of dancers, earning a small yelp from the wizard. Kat giggled at the noise.

“K… Kat! You know I don’t dance!” Cathy was bright red. “The last time we tried I stepped all over your feet!”

“It’s okay.” Kat soothed, placing a hand on Cathy’s shoulder and the other on her waist. “Just be with me…”

Cathy relented immediately, softening and letting Kat carefully guide her hands to the right position.

They swayed for what seemed like hours, in their own little world together. At some point, their heads came forward to rest together.

The melody guided them and they were content to simply be together.

Cathy’s original plan was to do this in private. She didn’t want to do it in front of a lot of people.

But there was a twinkle in Kat’s eyes and she looked so positively beautiful and so simply happy in this moment that Cathy felt her heart soar. The last beat of the melody hit and Cathy knew one thing for certain.

She was in love with Katherine Howard.

Before Cathy knew what she was doing, she dropped to one knee, pulling the tiny ring box from her pocket and opening it.

Kat froze in her tracks. She stared as she began to process exactly what Cathy was doing. The people around them had stopped to stare as well, but their stares were ones of surprise and excitement.

Cathy took a shaky breath. It’s okay, Cathy, she told herself, you love her and she loves you. With that thought in mind, she began to speak.

“Kat… you and I both know… that we’ll be fighting life or death soon. And I wanted to… to do this, just in case we don’t come back.” Cathy swallowed at that line. “I know we will, but just in case, I wanted us to know that we’ll forever be together.”

Kat was still staring wide eyed, but Cathy saw the smallest of nods, urging her to continue.

“You’ve been hurt by those you thought you loved before. They hurt you and abused you and you eventually realized it wasn’t love. They just wanted to use you. And I hope you know that I will never use you like that… I love you with all of my heart.”

“I— yes… I know— Cathy—!”

Cathy continued before Kat could get too far. She needed to finish. “We’ve been through so much together. We’ve fought demons and faced death and most importantly, we’ve found a family and also love. We’ve protected and loved each other no matter the cost, and I want that to continue… I love you…” Cathy took a deep breath.

“Katherine Howard, will you marry me?”

There was a beat and then Cathy was swept up into a hug. Cathy climbed to her feet, pulling Kat close to her chest and letting the bard press her face against her neck.

“Yes, yes… Cathy yes…” Kat breathed out and it was only that moment that Cathy realized the elf was crying.

“Yes?” Cathy asked again, wanting to reaffirm.

“Gods yes. Yes, I’ll marry you Cathy.” Kat pulled back. “I love you so much.”

And then Cathy was tugged into a deep kiss that she didn’t resist for a second, simply closing her eyes and leaning further into the bliss as the people around them cheered.

~~||~~||~~

At the end of the festival, everyone would gather in the square for stories and songs.

The couples met back up with the ladies and the kids, ready for the celebration. Everyone gathered around the stage built in the middle of town, the queens chattering happily with the kids as the ladies introduced the performers and performed themselves.

The festival’s finale was a fun one. Every single rebel was enjoying themselves, laughing along and letting themselves be guided into performing and telling their stories.

At one point, Bessie and Maggie had performed with Kat. The trio played their flutes as they danced and sang together.

All around, it was a joyful time.

The queens didn’t find themselves regretting the festival at all. Cathy and Kat especially.

But now, it was drawing to a close. It was the middle of the night, fires being lit to illuminate the area.

“We have time for one more story tonight before our festivities come to an end!” Bessie declared.

“And we would like to invite very special guests to join us.” Maria continued. The queens all paused as the four ladies’ gazes drifted to them. This wasn’t in the plan.

“My queens, would you honor us with your tales?” Joan asked, beckoning the group.

“I’m sure you must have many stories from your travels!” Maggie said at the same time the crowd erupted into excited cheers.

The queens looked around, stunned, as the wide crowd cheered for them. For their stories.

The six made their way up, urged by the crowd, ladies, and their kids. The six shared glances before smiles came into their lips.

“We would be happy to.” It was Jane who finally answered as the cheers died down to eager silence.

The queens shared one last glance, how do they start this? Which stories do they tell?

It was Cathy who stepped up to the plate, starting from the very beginning. Her voice was low and mysterious as she began. The writer was now in her element.

“Let me tell you a story of six ex-wives…”

~~||~~||~~

Fingers tapped against the armrest of a throne. The room was dark, lit only by lanterns due to the night outside.

Kneeling on the floor was a familiar face. It was the man who had been conducting the execution and collecting the souls.

“So… they have an army?” The figure on the throne let out a dark chuckle.

“Yes my king.” The man said, the jar of souls in front of him. “They also freed the prince and princesses.”

The king huffed. “So they have… no matter, I will get them back soon enough.” His fingers paused their tapping as he pondered something. “You spoke of seeing Boleyn.”

“Yes, I believe a necromancer is using her. One of the rebels. Perhaps Parr is a necromancer…”

The King’s hand clenched the arm rest and he growled. But then, his hand relaxed and he let out a chuckle. “You always have to get in my way… all of you.”

“My king, what do you want us to do about them?” The man asked.

The king only hummed. “They are no cause for worry. What is a group of rebels against an army of demons?”

The king stood, making his way to the kneeling man before reaching down to pick up the jar. He observed the souls inside carefully. He didn’t look at the man as he spoke his next words.

“Let them come. I need one of them after all…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Jane has hearing loss from an explosion as seen in the second chapter of Old Wounds.
> 
> Apologies for if the Mary and Elizabeth scene and also reuniting with the ladies seemed short, I hit a bit of a block but the former was too fun to not include, haha! I think it turned out alright though!
> 
> And also sorry if Anna and Jane’s part seemed pretty short… but those two are absolutely the cute couple that is just comforted by the other being there and constantly has silent conversations—
> 
> Oh! And:
> 
> “(The other queens learned about the engagement later that night, after the festival. There was a resounding cheer from everyone. Catalina began gushing to Cathy about how proud she was while Anne gave the both of them hugs and wide grins, cheering about how she was happy she would get to be freed for the wedding. Jane and Anna immediately began telling Kat that it was their turn to give Kat the well wishes and calm her down on the special day.)”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grand Finale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWs: pain, some blood, mentioned/almost death
> 
> (Yes, that summary is a reference to the Mario song—)

It was time.

After months of preparation. Over a year of this quest. It was time for the finale battle.

It was time to defeat Henry once and for all.

So here the queens were, gathered in that once small town that has become a full scale military camp and home for non-military.

The troops were ready to move out, set in four groups led by each lady. And they wanted the queens to make a speech.

Of course, it had fallen onto Catalina, who offered to do it.

And the woman was nervous and regretting it now. She paced the floor, already wearing her armor, muttering to herself. The other queens, accompanied by the ladies, had gone outside to wait for her.

All except one.

Anne carefully entered the room, taking in how Catalina paced back and forth. “You’re going to make a hole in the floor.”

Catalina paused at the teasing tone, turning to face Anne.

“Hi.” Catalina said simply.

“Hello.” Anne met Catalina and carefully took her hands before getting straight to the point. “You’re worried about this?”

Catalina hesitated before relaxing and nodding. “Yes… I just… I don’t want to screw this up.”

“Screw it up?” Anne tilted her head.

“If I fail then I fail the whole army. This is a morale boost and what if I can’t provide that… maybe I shouldn’t even be queen.”

“You know…” Anne looked considering. “You’re a natural leader, Ma Reine.”

“Perhaps…” Catalina agreed, slowly nodding. “But I’m still not so sure about this speech, Mi Alma.”

Anne smirked at her, reaching up to drape her arms over Catalina’s shoulders. “I heard you were really good at it.”

“That was years ago, Mi Alma.” Catalina replies, softening under the pressure on her shoulders and the shadow elf’s gaze.

Anne didn’t look convinced. “Then how are you so good at inspiring our group?”

“That’s just five of you. This… this is hundreds of people.” Catalina sighed, leaning forward to press her forehead against Anne’s.

“Then focus on us.” Anne told her, closing her eyes. “Don’t worry about the crowd. Give the speech to them but focus on the five of us. We’ll be right there to jump in if you need us to. The ladies and kids will be there too. All of us are cheering you on.”

Catalina released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Okay…”

The shadow elf hummed apologetically. “I’m sorry we pushed this on you, Ma Reine.”

“No, it’s okay… I offered.” Catalina returned. “I can do this. And all of you will help me if I need it. I know that.”

Anne smiled, neither still opening their eyes. “We’ll be just a few steps away.”

“I know.”

A few minutes later, Anne rejoined the rest of the group by the stage. The large crowd of soldiers and adventurers stood as well, gathered around. The ladies stood with the queens as well.

“Is she alright?” Anna asked immediately upon seeing the shadow elf.

“She’ll be okay. Just be ready to help her if she needs it.” Anne told them, smiling at the door Catalina was still behind.

The group nodded, relaxing with their own smiles. Some of the crowd pointed at them, sharing whispers. The queens truly had become legends.

And then, Catalina came out.

The former queen looked more radiant than ever. Her golden and black armor seemed to gleam in the sunlight. She stood tall and proud as she made her way to the stage.

The crowd was silent. And then, they broke into cheers as Catalina joined the other queens.

Anne couldn’t stop herself from staring at Catalina. She looked even more beautiful than back in the room…

She blinked and jolted upon feeling an elbow hit her side. Anne yelped slightly and looked over to Anna who was grinning at her. Anne grumbled and blushed but softened again immediately upon looking back to Catalina.

The paladin was surveying the crowd with a calm expression but slightly shaking hands. The crowd quieted.

Catalina took a deep breath and kept her gaze on the queens at the front of the crowd.

“People… I cannot tell you how proud of you all I am. All six of us are.” Catalina began. “I look out at all of you and see a united force. One fighting for the same cause. One of family and friends wanting to avenge each other.”

There were shouts of assent and pride that quickly died down.

“Henry… he’s a tyrant.” Catalina couldn’t stop the snarl in her tone. “A man who has killed people, those we care about, all for power. But… I have hope that we will come out victorious.”

Catalina locked eyes with a few Tieflings in the crowd. They were smiling at her and also looking at Anne in awe. The shadow elf had become a symbol of hope for the oppressed races. And Catalina couldn’t be prouder.

“I see races who have been oppressed… by not just Henry… but us as well… races who are still willing to fight for a kingdom that has pushed them down constantly. And I give them my utmost praise.” For a moment, Catalina locked eyes with Anne, who was beaming and even looked ready at the acknowledgment.

The Tieflings looked even more in awe and the Dragonborn let out rumbles of approval at her thanks.

Catalina’s eyes darkened as she took a sadder note. “Some of you will die. I am not one to dismiss that thought.” She paused, everyone was silent. “I truly wish none of you had to die. All of you deserve to be home and at peace with your families. But now… we are forced to look death in the eyes. Some of us will go on our way while some of us will take his hand and meet the gods.”

“But Henry.” Catalina swallowed, lips dry. “He’s already destroyed our lives. He’s hurt and even killed our friends and family. That’s what led some of you here. I have witnessed what he’s done first hand. I was one of his victims… my fellow queens… the ones who are now my family. He’s hurt them too.”

“I for one will be fighting him. Me and my family,” Catalina paused, gesturing to the other five queens. “We will be facing Henry head on. And now… we humbly ask for your help in defeating him.”

“I ask you now to fight with us. Help us rescue this kingdom. Please… we cannot do it alone.” Catalina gave a glance to the queens before looking out at the crowd. She took a deep breath...

“Are you with us?!” Catalina roared, pushing her sword in the air.

The entire crowd roared with her, every weapon being pushed to the air. The other queens and the ladies joined with beaming, proud smiles on their faces.

“YEAH!”

“WE’RE WITH YOU MY QUEENS!”

“WE LEAVE BY MORNING!”

~~||~~||~~

“This way!”

Anne led the group down the hidden passages of the palace walls. It was a unanimous decision for her to show them the path. She knew all of them.

They could already hear fighting outside the walls. Their own army having pushed through the outside walls into the city surrounding the castle. Demons could be heard shrieking.

The queens had no time to waste.

They raced through the halls, now in the castle itself. The halls were dark and barren.

“Anyone else worried about how… quiet it is?” Kat looked around nervously as they continued their run.

“Definitely.” Jane spoke everyone’s thoughts. “But we don’t have a choice.”

“It’s time to end this. Not just for us.” Anne also said. A glint in her eyes.

This… This was the moment the shadow elf had been waiting for.

Henry had cast her into the shadows. He had destroyed her as a person. He ripped her away from her daughter. He had hurt this little family she loved. He had done countless evil deeds.

And Anne was ready to watch him fall.

The words she had given the man controlling Mary rang in her mind. ‘When I make him suffer.’

Revenge was never a pretty affair. It was ugly and reared its head. Made even the smartest of people lose their cool.

Anne wanted revenge. She wasn’t going to rest until Henry suffered. Not even the panic rising within her at the sight of these familiar walls could stop it.

But unlike others looking for revenge, Anne wasn’t alone. She had queens who knew exactly what she could and would do.

They wanted revenge too after all. They had sat each other in a big group before the battle and talked about it.

The talk had been long and unsteady. Henry had wronged them so much. Kat had led the conversation, remembering the time they had encountered one of the men who hurt her in another town. Panic and revenge had both driven her back then.

So Anne wouldn’t strike out on her own. She would stay with the others and do her best to keep from being reckless. She didn’t make promises. None of them could.

But she thanked the others for that talk. It was the only thing keeping her open minded right now.

And besides… she could watch Henry suffer just as easily with her fellow queens.

Anne was snapped out of her thoughts by the large doors opening. They had reached the throne room.

The queens walked in warily, ready for any trap. As one, their eyes all locked into the figure across the giant room, seated on his throne and staring back at them with evil eyes. He was in his armor, ready for a fight.

“Henry…” Anna spat, hands on her axe. Everyone was gripping their weapons, knuckles white.

“My loves…” Henry spread his arms wide from where he sat on his throne. “You’re just in time.”

“We are not your loves.” Catalina replied coldly, eyes narrowed.

Henry looked all six of them over. “You all loved me once you know.”

“You’re really that naive?” Kat stood straighter, flute raised. “None of us loved you. We were forced to marry you by yourself and others.”

“Maybe so. But I think I loved all of you… and this is how you repay me?” Henry’s gaze became a glare.

“You didn’t love us! Why else would you have hurt us like you did?!” Jane demanded, in a fighting stance.

“Hurt you… I did what I had to do.” Henry’s eyes locked onto Jane. “Take you for example… you were going to try and stop me if you figured this out. Stopping me would have done nothing for this kingdom. It would have made it fall faster.” Jane only tensed further. That was his reasoning?!

He moved onto Anna. “I know now that you were figuring out more than Seymour ever did… but back then… well… a barbarian such as yourself wouldn’t do for the king and his kingdom.” Anna bristled, eyes narrowing.

He met Catalina’s eyes. “The great paladin fighting in wars? What would the kingdom have done if we both died… and without a male heir being provided to take the throne.” Catalina only glared back at him. (Both of them knew that the second part was the most of it.)

“Howard… What do you think the kingdom would have done if they knew just how many men you seduced?” Kat flinched back, hands shaking.

“Your sacrifice would have brought the kingdom to fruition, Parr! I would have had the power to bring this kingdom to its full power and greatness!” Cathy didn’t reply, hand only gripping tighter to her staff. “But instead someone helped you…”

Henry looked furious as he finally looked at Anne. “Anne Boleyn… you should have stayed where you belong. Do you really think the kingdom would have accepted a creature like you? I did you a favor… and you repay me by ruining everything!” He finished with a roar and Anne couldn’t help but flinch back even as she glared with trembling fury.

Henry took a deep breath and relaxed back into his throne. “But it’s fine… now we can fix it all…”

“What are you talking about?” Cathy questioned.

“That meddlesome rebel army of yours is here and the six of you are here as well… I have what I need…” Henry propped his head on his interlocked hands. “I had to make new arrangements… After all, you took my executioner away.”

Catalina stepped forward with a snarl. “My daughter is not your executioner!”

Henry tilted his head. “Isn’t she? She killed those people.”

“Under a brainwashing spell from you!” Jane protested immediately.

Henry simply shrugged. “Maybe. But she still burned their bodies to ashes. Ignored their screams of pain and forgiveness.”

All of the queens looked ready to lunge, Catalina especially. But they held themselves back.

Henry stood up from his throne, looking down at all of them. “But that doesn’t matter now.” He looked up at the window. “It is almost time. It’s a shame I’ll have to cut our talk so short… especially after so long.”

“You don’t have what you need.” Anne sneered. “We stopped Mary before anyone else could be killed.”

“And even if you do, then we’ll stop you.” Kat had her flute at the ready.

There was a moment of silence. And then a laugh came from Henry. A deep, evil laugh that sounded victorious. Chills ran down the spines of all six women.

“On the contrary, you brought me exactly what I need.” Henry raised his head, smirking at them.

“And what would that be?” Anna challenged, head high.

Henry vanished with a snap of his fingers. Before anyone processed this, he reappeared.

Behind Cathy.

He grabbed that wizard by the shoulder, giving her a dark smile. Everyone turned, panic clear in their eyes.

“Catherine Parr.”

And just like that, both Henry and Cathy were gone.

~~||~~||~~

When Cathy woke up, she found herself standing.

No. She wasn’t standing. She was suspended. Shackles on the wall held her trapped and no matter how hard Cathy tugged they wouldn’t come loose.

Around her was dark stone and prison bars, the air stifled and cold.

Cathy was in the castle’s dungeon.

Henry soon came into focus, smiling darkly at her. “Thank you for cooperating, Catherine.”

“Cooperating?” Cathy glared back at him, tugging sharply at the chains. “You kidnapped me!”

“Kidnapped?” Henry reached forward, hands resting on her cheeks so he could meet her eyes. “You’re assisting me, Catherine… we’re going to do something great.”

“I’ll never help you.” Cathy stated defiantly.

“You’ve already forgotten?” Henry tilted his head. “I need a sacrifice… I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, Catherine.” He pulled back with a dark grin, delighting in how she paled as he also gave her a swift smack to one cheek.

Cathy’s mind began to race as she recalled the plans she had seen written so long ago. The plan to sacrifice her.

Henry spoke again upon seeing that Cathy wouldn’t speak. “Don’t worry… if you don’t struggle it won’t hurt much at all…”

He raised his hand, magic sparking at his fingertips.

Cathy struggled. Of course she did.

She wasn’t going to let her life go just like that. She thrashed and screamed in the chains as the pain overwhelmed her.

“So you struggled… shame.” She could hear Henry say before the pain only intensified.

Cathy screamed and wailed as the pain became all consuming. It was indescribable. But if she had to put it some way… Cathy could say it felt like her soul was being torn out.

Pulling against the chains out of pain and desperation, all Cathy could think of was the others. She couldn’t leave them like this.

Between the blinding pain, she apologized to them.

She apologized to Anna. The loyal woman who would blame herself for this. Anna who stuck by her side through thick and thin, making sure she was just as safe and protected as the others. (Cathy wishes she could apologize for the times it felt like she held Anna back.)

She apologized to Jane. The woman was like a mother to all of them who always listened. She always listened to Cathy when she just needed to talk. And when Cathy needed to be silent, Jane was still there too. (Cathy wishes she could tell Jane just how grateful she was.)

She’s apologized to Catalina. Her godmother who always made sure to look out for her. The steady presence who always knew when something was wrong and rarely afraid to ask about it. (She wishes she could tell Catalina just how much of a mother she had been, even with her real mother gone.)

Cathy apologized to Anne. They had been together through all of this and Cathy knew Anne would be torn over this. Anne was protective over Cathy, maybe more so than the others in the group. And Anne… Cathy saw her as a best friend. She didn’t want to leave her like this. (Cathy would apologize for not freeing her sooner.)

And Kat… oh gods, Kat… there were so many things Cathy could apologize for… for not being there to hold her… for not being there to care for her. But Cathy wants to apologize the most for the soon to be failure of their marriage due to an outside force. She promised to be there and love Kat. Finally give her the right romance after so many wrongs. To be her equal. (Cathy just hopes the others looked out for Kat… she doesn’t know what Kat will do after this.)

Tears that had already been present from pain only fell faster and harder at that thought. Cathy didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to… she didn’t want…

Everything finally went numb. Cathy felt so tired and the pain still pulsed lightly...

Cathy went limp, her thrashing and screaming dying down. Tears streamed down her cheeks and rasped, sobbed gasps puffed from her lips. 

A single, tiny whimper escaped her… And then, everything went black for a second, darker time.

This time… Cathy wasn’t sure if she would wake up.

~~||~~||~~

The other five members of the group reached the dungeons.

After Cathy vanished, the group became frantic, Kat especially. They began to search the castle for any trace of Henry or Cathy. The dungeons were the last place to look.

Anne slammed open the door after picking the lock, becoming a shadow and racing down the dark stairs ahead of everyone else. She could hear Kat right behind her, keeping pace.

Anne emerged once at the bottom, pausing. It was quiet. Eerily so.

Kat raced past her and Anne didn’t give it another thought, following after her desperate cousin. She could hear the others footsteps directly behind them. All of them were terrified.

Four members soon slowed down slightly, Kat rushing further down the hall.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Jane asked anxiously, one hand on the hilt of her rapier.

“She is. She has to be.” Anna replied, reaching over to take Jane’s hand.

Catalina inhaled sharply through her nose. She was clearly worried over her goddaughter. Anne looped their arms together, giving Catalina a determined stare.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to her. Not in my watch.” Anne stated.

Catalina knew just how true that was. Anne would do anything for them. But Cathy… Cathy was the one who made countless promise after promise to save Anne. More than any of the others did. And eventually… Cathy did free her.

Anne wouldn’t let anything happen to Cathy. Not after everything. And they all knew it.

“I know.” Catalina nodded with her own determination. “We’re going to get her back.”

“CATHY!”

The scream had all of them sprinting now, rushing over to where Kat stood, pressed against prison bars and tears on her cheeks. Her gaze was filled with horror.

And when Anne reached her side, also saw Cathy, her heart dropped into her stomach.

Cathy was limp. Dangling and slumped against the wall suspended by chains on her wrists. She wasn’t responding.

Anne was quickly pushing past Kat, pulling out a lockpick almost frantically. She could hear the others terrified whispers and Jane trying desperately to reassure both Kat and Catalina but Anne only had focus on the lockpick and Cathy.

The door swung open and Kat was darting past them as a blur, reaching Cathy’s side and cupping her cheeks. A sob bubbled from Kat’s lips and it was easy for Anne to register why.

Cathy looked dead.

Instead of pale, her skin was more ashen grey. Sweat was on her skin despite how cold the dungeon was (and how cold to the touch she felt). Her eyes were closed and she was limp and still. Anne didn’t think Cathy was breathing either…

They quickly got her down and to the floor after breaking and picking the chains, soon realizing that she was in fact breathing.

“Oh thank the gods.” Catalina breathed out once they realized that.

Kat only let out a relieved sob, holding Cathy’s body close to her chest and pressing her face against the wizard’s hair.

“Something is still wrong…” Anna pointed out. That was obvious to all of them.

“Let me see her, love.” Jane told Kat gently. The bard slowly held Cathy out a little more, letting Jane check her over. Jane didn’t even try to pull the wizard from Kat’s arms.

Jane began to look over Cathy further and everyone waited with hope, still relieved that Cathy wasn’t dead.

Jane paled and Anne felt a chill creep up her spine as the cleric turned to all of them with fear in her eyes.

“Liebling?” Anna asked warily.

“We need to find Henry. Now.” Was all Jane said, now on her feet.

“Jane, what’s wrong?” Kat asked, anxiety clouding her features. She clutched Cathy a little closer.

“... what do you know about magic cores?” Jane asked all of them. Kat paled, already understanding exactly where this is going.

“Magic cores… the part of our bodies that give us access to magic. Everyone has them, even non-magic users.” Catalina was standing straight, suddenly looking even more fearful than before.

“The stronger the magic user, the larger the core.” Realization settles in Anne’s mind and she suddenly felt sick as she remembered the plans she had shown Cathy so long ago. “Magic cores are connected to a person’s life force…”

“Oh shit.” Anna remembered too, eyes wide with fear. “The sacrifice.”

“We have to go.” Catalina was already at the cell door, looking back at the others expectantly. “Now!”

“I’ll stay with her. You need to go find Henry.” Jane told Kat. Kat stared at her, wide eyed before slowly nodding and shakily passing Cathy over.

They reached the dungeons entrance in a few seconds but Anne stopped, turning to stop Kat as well. The bard was still shaking, eyes wide with terror.

Catalina and Anna stopped too, turning back to check on the cousins.

Anne only gave them a nod and they went on ahead. Anne turned back to her cousin, gently taking her by the shoulders and pulling her into a deep hug. Kat’s sobs only intensified.

They stood there for a long minute, Anne letting Kat cry until she finally pulled back to look at Kat, keeping her hands on the bard’s shoulders.

“Look at me, Chaton.”

Anne tried to give her a confident stare when Kat did so but she knew that fear was still noticeable.

“We’re going to rescue her. Jane will keep her safe until we get back and when we get back we’re going to have her core with us. I promise you, you’ll get to have your wedding. You’ll keep Cathy in your life.”

“How do you know?” Kat asked, voice scarcely above a whisper.

“Because there’s no way in hell we’re going to let her go that easily.” Anne replied, voice calm and steel with determination. “She never gave up on any of us and we haven’t given up on her. Why would we do that now?”

Kat stared at her before nodding strongly, a glint now in her eyes that made Anne beam with pride as the elf in front of her wiped away her tears.

“You’re right. I refuse to let her go. I love Cathy. And I’m going to save her.”

Anne felt endless pride well up for the younger woman in front of her.

She’s seen Kat grow and thrive during this quest. The bard had started in the castle, quiet and obedient. Groomed to be that way. She then escaped and became strong even with the hell she had been through.

Anne remembered her surprise upon seeing just how much bright Kat had been in her new life in Holbein. Joyful and sarcastic. A person again instead of their plaything.

And along the quest… well, Kat only grew even stronger. She was one of the strongest people Anne knew.

Anne couldn’t be prouder of her younger cousin.

“We’re getting her back.” Anne gave Kat’s shoulder one more calming squeeze. “Now come one, we’ve got a time limit here!”

“Right!”

Anne led them down the hall now, the two pushing themselves as fast as they could go.

Cathy had given her a life back when she was nothing. She had been the first light Anne had seen since the shadows. (Even Elizabeth had become shaded over time, the more Anne had to watch her live her life without a mother.)

And Anne wasn’t going to let that go unrepaid any longer.

~~||~~||~~

The cousins quickly found Henry back where they started. The throne room.

Demons were gathered around now, standing guard. Kat crept along the shadowed banister and Anne was in the shadows at ground floor.

Henry stood in the center of the room. A large, blue glowing orb held in his hands. Cathy’s magic core.

In front of Henry was… some kind of portal.

It was large and red. Just looking at it made chills run down Anne’s spine.

But she remembered seeing it before. When she was still trapped in the palace.

Henry would go to the lower floors of the castle to talk to whatever being was inside this portal on an almost daily basis. More than once, Henry had been asked about her by the being. Henry always seemed too damn gleeful when he explained and the being seemed almost proud. Back then, the portal was much smaller.

In fact, that being was here now.

“Are you ready to ascend, my king?” The being rumbled, voice loud and deep.

Henry’s eyes glinted with evil and greed, a smile on his face. “Yes… give me your power…”

“Give me the core, and it shall be yours.”

Henry started to edge the core towards the hand. Kat let out a scream of panic right as Anne lunged forward.

The shadow emerged physically, dashing between the hand and Henry. She grabbed Cathy’s core, now clutching it close to her chest as she landed away from the two, turning back to glare at them.

“Boleyn.” Henry growled.

“Henry.” Anne hissed back with just as much venom.

She stood in front of the door now, Kat swiftly by her side. The two of them stared down the snarling demons and Henry. “And Howard too.”

Kat only squared her jaw.

“Did you think we would let you take Cathy away from us?!” Anne demanded, grip tightening slightly.

“You… the shadow…” The demon in the portal muttered thoughtfully upon seeing her. “A shadow elf. How fitting that the curse be placed on a shadow creature such as yourself.”

Anne bristled. “So says the demon.”

The demon let out a low laugh. “I would stay your tongue. I was the ruler of your descendants before they escaped.”

Ah, that’s right. Shadow elves became a race due to being trapped in the shadow realm hundreds of years ago. They had eventually been freed, but became a new race entirely. A mistreated and discriminated one due to that affinity with the shadow realm.

“Well you’re no ruler of mine. And there’s no way in hell you're going to hurt my family anymore.”

“Family?” It was Henry who asked, brow raised.

“Us.” Kat took a step forward, grasping onto Anne’s arm. “And Cathy’s part of our family.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she clenched the fist that her ring was on. “I refuse to let you take her from me.”

“And what makes you think I’ll let you get back to her alive?” Henry snarled. “I’ve worked too damn hard for this to lose it now! Especially to my damn wives!”

“My king… get me that core and all of my power will be yours.”

Both sides stared at each other, paying no attention to the furious demons surrounding them.

Anne spun, carefully passing Cathy’s core over to Kat. “Go. You have a fiancée to save.”

“Anne—!”

Anne shook her head, pushing the core further into Kat’s embrace. “No. Trust me… I can escape.”

“... you’ll be safe?”

“I’ll get out the moment I know you’re clear.” Anne took a step forward, eyes now trained on Henry. “Your fiancé needs you.”

There was a stretch of silence broken only by the low growl of the demons. And then, Anne heard footsteps, echoing and disappearing as they got further away.

Henry glared at her. “Go after her.”

As the demons rushed by her, Anne only huffed.

Tendrils of shadows tugged on the pillars, pushing and pulling them over until they blocked off the doorway Kat went through completely. Some demons were even crushed under the force.

Anne tilted her head to stare at Henry. “Did you really think I would let them follow?”

Henry surveyed her closely. “I thought you would be escaping with her.”

“You and I have unfinished business.”

“Oh?”

Anne didn’t seem to notice the growling demons around her, only staring at Henry. “You know that demon is using you, yeah? It’s going to destroy us all instead.”

“Don’t listen to her, my king.” The being in the portal hissed. “This creature has been against you from the start.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed.

“And I still am.” Anne shrugged. “I know for a fact there’s no saving you. Maybe for the rest of it you’ve been influenced. But that curse on me? That was all you.” Anne made a gesture with her dagger. “And I will never forgive you for it.”

“It was a mercy.” Henry snarled. “I could have beheaded you!”

“YOU MADE ME A SHADOW!” Anne roared, taking a step forward. “YOU MADE ME A SHADOW ON THE WALL! YOU MADE ME NOTHING! DEATH WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN THAT HELL!”

“I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO BOLEYN!” Henry bellowed his own response. “THE PEOPLE DIDN’T NEED SUCH A DANGEROUS CREATURE OF SHADOWS AS THEIR QUEEN! YOUR HEIR WOULD HAVE MEANT NOTHING!”

“SO YOU CURSED ME?! PUT ME IN HELL?! YOU COULD HAVE SENT ME AWAY BUT INSTEAD YOU TRIED TO GIVE ME ETERNAL SADNESS!”

“I WAS PROTECTING THE KINGDOM!”

Anne growled, gaze dropping to the floor. “Protecting the kingdom… from a monster? If I’m the monster here… then you're the worst monster there could ever be. Even before you cursed me you were a monster. Only at that point you were still growing into one. We choose the paths we follow. And you chose the evil one.”

“I am trying to save this kingdom, Boleyn.” Henry said simply to her rant. Anne didn’t acknowledge his answer.

“I wanted to die.” Anne said blankly. “I wanted to be anything else then that damn shadow.” Then, a chuckle escaped her lips that grew louder as her teary eyes moved up to meet Henry’s. “You tried to make me nothing… you made it so I couldn’t die even if I wanted to… well, you didn’t fucking succeed.”

Henry only glared at her with the portal demon’s low growl reverberating through the room.

“I do have something to thank you for.” Anne tilted her head.

“Oh?”

“My family.” Anne’s voice suddenly dropped after that. “And this is for them.”

With that, she threw a throwing knife. Henry only stared at it as it passed by him. He put his fingers on his cheek and slowly pulled it away to find blood.

He stared at Anne for a long moment. Anne stared right back.

“Kill her.”

The terrifying amount of demons lunged for her. Anne wasn’t about to chance it. She spun on her heel, taking off in a sprint.

Right before she dove into the shadows, she felt claws graze her back, causing her to yelp as she quickly vanished into the shadows.

Anne fled through the cracks in the debris, escaping under Henry’s furious gaze and the rumble of the lead demon.

She rushed down the hall towards where her companions were waiting, the hissing and screeching of the demons growing fainter and fainter.

~~||~~||~~

Anne ran into more demons as she ran down the hall, but they were easy to sneak by as a shadow.

And soon, she was back in the dungeon, a safe point for the group.

Anne emerged from the shadows, leaning against the wall for a second as the gash on her back burned. Anne knew it wasn’t too deep, she had been too far out of the demon’s reach for that.

But damn that didn’t stop it from stinging.

She heard the others voices and quickly made her way down the hall, finding them in the cell with Cathy. Anne brightened immediately, a breath of relief rushing from her lips as she saw who sat against the wall.

It was Cathy. Awake and, most importantly, alive.

“Somnolente!”

Anna was by Cathy’s side in one quick lunge, pulling the wizard into a hug, which was quickly returned. Kat sat next to them, relieved tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. The others were around them with smiles of their own.

Cathy and Anne both closed their eyes in relief and content. The terror was only now fully hitting Anne.

“Thank you, Annie. Kat told me that you saved my core.” Cathy murmured.

“I’m just happy you’re alive.” Anne whispered back.

“Kat got it back just in time.” Jane replied with a relieved smile. But then her smile dimmed as she noticed something. “Anne your back!”

Anne felt the stinging return but she only let out a hum. “Yeah, a demon got me on the way out. I don’t think it’s that bad though… doesn’t feel like it anyways.”

“You said you’d be safe!” Kat stared at Anne as Jane moved to heal it.

“And I was. One lucky bastard simply grazed me on the way out.”

“You're lucky it was a graze, Mi Alma.” Catalina told her now next to the four on the floor and kissing Anne’s cheek.

Cathy looked understanding. “You talked to him… didn’t you?”

“I had to.” Anne said, not letting go of Cathy just yet. No one needed any further of an answer.

Jane soon finished healing the scratch on Anne’s back. Anne turned and gave Catalina a kiss and squeezed Cathy one more time before sinking into the writer’s shadow.

“I’m okay, Anne… promise.” Cathy said, exhaustion still in her voice.

But no one tried to force Anne to come out. They all only huddled around Cathy in a group hug. Anne needed to be in Cathy’s shadow and every one of them needed to be close.

(Anne doesn’t know why something like this comforts her so much… corpses can have a shadow too. But it still reassured her that they were there. Perhaps she could feel that they were fine in their shadow. That they were alive and well. And none of the queens were going to stop her from comforting herself.)

The queens couldn’t stay here long. Their army was still fighting outside and Henry was waiting above them. But for a few minutes, they remained where they were, huddled together.

They needed it.

But soon, they pulled back, Cathy having more energy than before and Anne slowly coming out of her shadow. They stood in a circle, looking at each other.

“You’re sure you’ll be okay?” Anna directed at Cathy, a concerned look in her eyes.

“I’ll be fine. We need to do this.” Cathy declared, a stare daring anyone to force her to stay behind.

“Then let’s do it.”

~~||~~||~~

He was waiting for them. Of course he was.

He stood at the end of the throne room, portal still behind them. The king glared at them, fed up with their games. He held a book in his hands.

Anne recognized it. It was the one Henry always held when casting spells concerning the shadow realm.

Demons were still in the room, growling and snarling at them but not yet attacking.

Henry sneered at them, gaze landing on Cathy. “So you lived…” Henry glanced at Anne. “You really do always ruin my plans…”

Catalina stepped in front of Anne slightly, shield raised. “This ends now, Henry!”

“Indeed it does… you have escaped for the last time, my loves.” Henry kept his gaze on the queens as he gave the order in a roaring voice. “Bring me Parr alive! The rest of them must die!”

The queens formed a protective circle, backs to each other. They struck down any demon that came near, all angles taken care of. But with the sheer amount of demons they were stuck in that position now, striking down all they could.

Eventually, Henry had enough. He found a spell in the book in half a second and was launching an explosion spell at the center of the queen’s circle.

Everyone was frantically jumping away from the blast.

“Split up!”

They did. There was no coherent plan besides getting that book away from Henry. If they took his power source, he wouldn’t have that power.

Anna and Jane ended up on the rafters above, sprinting along them. Catalina and Kat were on the right, Cathy and Anne on the left, both groups ducking behind pillars and dodging blasts.

Henry still wasn’t the only problem in the fight either. The demons were still after them, only empowered by them splitting up.

They leapt after Anna and Jane, claws making deep gashes on the stone and wood of the rafters. They leapt after the other four, curling around the pillars and staying behind them.

The queens all cursed under their breaths. They were quickly getting overwhelmed.

Cathy stumbled and Anne quickly grabbed her, pulling the both of them into the shadows. The demons stood over them with hissed as they waited and paced. Catalina and Kat were backed against the wall, Catalina covering the both of them with her shield as the demons clawed relentlessly, trying to get to them. Henry had launched a blast of magic at the rafters, causing it to crack and collapse, sending Jane and Anna falling to the floor where they were quickly surrounded and struggling to defend themselves.

They were all trapped…

“Don’t you see now?! I am stronger than you’ll ever be!” Henry let out a laugh, raising his hands.

No. They couldn’t let this end here. They had come this far, why should they fail now?! They had gone through hell and back, crafted a family, saved countless people fighting with them right now.

They weren’t going to fall like this.

As Catalina grew weaker Kat had enough. With a few notes, a tide of water was pushing the demons back while avoiding Catalina. A different note sent lightning through the water, shocking the demons. Catalina was following up and destroying the rest by raising her sword with a prayer to the gods. The demons were smited down after only a few seconds of waiting.

Anna pulled Jane into a dance. Jane eagerly accepted. The two became a dance of whirling blades striking down the demons who came near as they held each other close. The wives ended in a dip, Jane’s rapier through a demon’s chest and Anna’s axe in another’s stomach.

“Hold onto me!” Anne called to Cathy. The wizard clutched onto Anne and as soon as Anne knew she was safe and would keep hold, the shadow elf began their own escape plan.

She began to pull the demons into the shadows. One by one the demons vanished with a shriek. Anne would swiftly take them out with her dagger. Sometimes Cathy would use a spell. Together the two made their way through, taking out demons as they went until they reached their companions again.

“We have to end this!” Jane alerted the others. “If we get overwhelmed like that again I fear we won’t make it out a second time!”

“If we could just take out Henry it would all be over!” Anna huffed, striking a demon that got too close to Kat.

Cathy looked around, her eyes lighting up as she found an idea. “I have a plan!” It was simple and maybe it wouldn’t work… but it was all they had for the moment.

“Let’s hear it, Mija.”

Seconds later, Henry was watching the battle. His eyes widened upon realizing that Anna and Anne had vanished. “No! You won’t trick me like this!” He yelled, scanning for the shadow he knew to be somewhere.

He spotted it too late. They were already next to him. Henry called his demons back and they turned away from the other queens, turning to rush back towards their master. But they were just as late.

Henry’s eyes widened with panic as Anna was launched out of the shadows by Anne. She raced towards him, a hopeful, triumphant grin on her face.

Kat was playing her flute. Catalina had her sword raised. Jane was pointing her rapier at Anna. Cathy had her staff held out. All were casting either defense magic or power magic, giving Anna all the protection and force she needed.

Things went slow motion for everyone involved.

Henry began to say a spell but Anna reached him too fast. She slammed the flat side of the axe against Henry. The force sent Henry flying backwards and slamming into the wall.

The queens all let out gasps of excitement as he dropped to the floor. The adrenaline still burned in their veins as they huffed for breath.

The minor demons around them began to dissolve and fade away. Cheering began to ring out outside.

They all gathered around him quickly as Henry remained awake, glaring up at them. But he was trembling. (How had they defeated the demons? What kind of power—?)

“You… you all really believe you’ll be the best for this kingdom?”

The queens all glanced at each other. It was Cathy who spoke. “We’ll be better than you’ve ever been.”

“You killed people. You’re possessed by power. You have hurt millions in this conquest of yours. It’s over Henry. And I hope you enjoy prison.” Anne finished, glaring down at him. Henry opened his mouth to speak, only for his head to drop, now unconscious.

But it wasn’t over.

“You six… you truly have a knack for ruining plans, don’t you?”

The queens spun around to the speaker.

It was that familiar low, rumbled voice of the demon within the portal. The portal which wasn’t disappearing like the demons. It was steady and open, the arm and hand not reaching through.

The group stared in dawning horror. They had pushed all of their magic into that battle against Henry. It was supposed to be over. But the demon was still here… and the queens had a terrible feeling he was stronger than Henry.

“How… we defeated Henry!” Kat was the one who asked, fear in her eyes. They were all already tired from the fight with Henry.

“You defeated the king… but he is not the source of my power. He only opened this gate. He does not sustain it.” The demon answered rather ominously.

“Well we’ll defeat you just like we did Henry.” Anna declared, earning determined looks and readied weapons from the others.

The demon hummed, seeming intrigued by their response. “So you won’t give up the easy way… very well.” Then his voice took on a dangerous edge. “I will not be trapped here forever. I will have that core and I will rule! What makes you think six humans and elves can defeat me?”

“Because you aren’t at full power… You need my magic. The magic I took back from you. Get it if you can.” Cathy tilted her head challengingly.

The monster let out a roar, the giant hand exiting the portal reaching almost desperately for her. Cathy lunges out of the way, sprinting across the room. The hand only followed.

All six of the queens leapt into action.

All they could really do against the demon was spells and their weapons. Cathy kept distracting it, but it was clear the woman was still exhausted and the others had to step in to protect her multiple times.

The battle went on for a while. The group was getting more and more tired.

They needed to end this soon. And that thought led to them getting more reckless.

Anna was sent to the wall by a fist. Jane was slapped aside. Kat was sent to the floor. Catalina was hit away after defending Cathy with her shield.

Anne tried to grab onto the hand but was quickly thrown back. She went sprawling across the floor and could only lay there as the wind was knocked out of her.

After a moment, the rogue pushed herself up to sit and found herself in a mess of books and papers. Her eyes locked onto one in seconds.

Henry’s book.

She crawled over, the noises of fighting still blaring behind her. She flicked through the pages as quick as she could, looking for what she needed.

Surely there would be a failsafe—

And there was. One of the last pages Anne found the spell. She thanked the gods for the sheer luck shining down on her.

The spell required a shadow creature. Including shadow elves.

Anne quickly began following the instructions, sweat dripping down her brow at the pressure as she grabbed a blank sheet from a fallen stack of parchment.

She inhaled sharply at the next direction but grabbed her dagger. Anne pricked her pointer finger on her right hand. Not just a little prick either, enough so the amount of blood she needed would come out.

From there, she began writing on the parchment with her blood. She followed the design as written on the paper.

What was she making? A seal.

Anne looked at the next instruction and cursed. She needed to place the seal on an open wound of the demon’s.

First problem, she needed to get close enough. Second problem, she needed to place the seal before the hand could pull back into the portal.

But there was not time to think further. Anne finally brought her attention back to the battle and froze.

The others had been cornered.

Cathy was behind them, a magic shield covering the entire group. But it was close to breaking, the wizard still tired from having her core removed, only making it fade faster.

Anne scrambled to her feet, blood still dripping from her fingertip as she hurriedly hid the seal. She stood between the demon and the group right before the hand would have passed through the shield.

“STOP!”

The demon hissed, hand pulling back. “Who are you to tell me to stop, shadow creature?!”

“You forgot something!” Anne yelled out. She kept the seal carefully hidden from the demon’s sight.

The demon growled. “And what is that, creature?”

“You need a vessel.” Anne told him, eyes narrowed.

The queens behind her began to protest but were quieted by the demon growling. “What are you suggesting, creature?”

“Me.”

The demon paused, actually seeming taken aback. “I can easily take the king.”

“But wouldn’t a shadow creature such as myself suit your needs better?” Anne’s heart felt like it was about to explode from her chest.

The demon regarded her. “And why do you suggest this?”

“A deal.” Anne said clearly. “My friends get to go free and live happy lives. You don’t destroy the kingdom… only control it. Like the king you are… my…”

Anne hesitated for a moment before dropping to one knee and bowing her head. “My king…”

“ANNE!”

“ANNIE DON’T!”

The demon was quiet for a moment. “A deal… and what makes me know this isn’t a trick?”

Anne’s mouth felt dry as she spoke. She didn’t want to give this monster praises. But she would do what she needed to do. “My king. I swear to you that this is no trick. I have no way of proving it besides telling you that. I see now… your power. The sheer power you hold is infinite compared to ours, my king.”

The queens gave more protests, but Anne paid them no mind.

Anne kept her head bowed and stayed on her knee submissively. “I humbly beg of you. Spare my friends. I will be your vessel to allow you to rule this kingdom however you see fit. I know now I cannot win, my king… we… we have lost…”

The demon actually seemed pleased with this turn of events. A happy sounding rumble escaped through the portal as he took in the kneeling shadow elf. “You were so eager to fight against me earlier… but now you have seen the error of your ways?”

“Yes, my king.”

“What are you to me, creature?”

Anne inhales sharply. “I am a lowly servant, my king. The vessel that allows you to take this world you rightfully deserve. I plead again—!”

“Do not speak out of turn!” The demon bellowed, making Anne flinch. “You answered what you were asked. Now be quiet.”

“... yes, my king.”

The demon only seemed further swayed by this. “Good…” He looked to the other queens, who were wide eyed and horrified. “You ask me to spare this group? Let them live happy lives?”

“Yes, my king.”

“Yes… this is doable…” The demon rumbled. “The wizard… she will still have to be my sacrifice.”

Anne froze at that, but carefully managed to speak, eyes still trained on the floor. “Are you—?”

“Questioning me?”

“... no, My king. I understand. Thank you for sparing the others.”

The others were yelling again. But through the blood rushing in her brain and focusing solely on the demon’s words she couldn’t make out what they were saying. It was probably a good thing… Anne didn’t think she could go through with this if she heard their words exactly.

Now it was even trickier than before, if that was possible. Anne couldn’t let Cathy be killed first.

But an idea ticked in her brain… And Anne went for it. It was the only idea she had left.

“My king…” There was a low growl and Anne froze again, holding her breath.

“Speak.” The demon finally relented.

“The shadow realm… while you take the core, I want to see what it is like.”

Please please please please—

“... you have already made many demands of me, creature.”

“I know, my king. And I am grateful for all you will do for a lowly servant. One who fought against you at that… who insulted you. This is the last thing I request. I want to see my ancestor’s home. I want it to be the last thing I see before I become your vessel…”

The silence was deafening. Anne couldn’t see the queens, but she could feel their tension light up the room, mixing with the sheer anxiety and fear swirling within her.

“Very well.”

Anne carefully hid the relieved breath that left her lips. “Thank you, my king.”

The demon rumbled. “Yes… you have turned around. Realized your true calling despite your fighting. To serve me. I will give you your last wishes… what am I to you creature?” The demon either took sick satisfaction in hearing her answer or he was trying to make sure… perhaps both.

Anne felt two single tears roll down her cheeks now. The relief, the fear, the adrenaline was pushing into her with all its force now. “A lowly servant, my king… the vessel that allows you, my king, to reach his right to rule.”

“Good…” A dark chuckle escaped the demon. “Come. I will bring you to your home…”

The hand reached through the portal again. This was it… now or never…

Anne waited, her heart fluttering the rate of a hummingbird’s. She couldn’t screw this up. She had gotten this far. There was no turning back now.

Closer.

Closer.

Almost…

Now!

In a flash, Anne’s dagger cut across the palm of the demon’s giant hand. Shadow magic crossed with the dagger, making the slice bigger.

“TRAITOR!” The demon roared. The walls shook under the volume.

The hand began to pull back into the portal, but Anne leapt after it. She pulled the seal out and with half a second to spare, slammed it on the black blooded wound.

The demon howled at that. The hand spasmed as the seal in its entirety disappeared. The queens could only gape and move out of it’s range as the portal around the hand began to close.

The demon continued to curse and rage. “YOU DAMN CREATURE! NO! NO! ONE DAY! ONE DAY YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! I WILL HAVE MY VENGEANCE!”

Henry was waking up. He slowly pushed himself up, taking in the scene before him. His wounds covered him head to toe but he quickly figured out what was going on as the shadows swarmed and the portal closed further and further.

“NO! THE POWER!” He roared, rushing forward.

But then, the demon turned on him. He hand grabbed him and Henry paled immediately, regretting it as he tried to claw from the grip.

“NO WAIT, PLEASE!” Henry shrieked as he was dragged back across the ground.

“You couldn’t keep your side of the deal, you will be my prisoner for eternity!” The demon roared.

The queens could only stare in shock as Henry was dragged down into the portal. He let out one final call for help…

And then the portal closed.

The six could only stare at the portal stunned.

“Holy shit...” Anne couldn’t help but whisper.

“Did… did we just win?” Anna finally asked, breathing heavy.

“I… we did.” Cathy was still staring at where the portal had once been. “We won.”

Anne let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding and let herself fall backwards. She heard several yelps at her sudden fall and stumbled footsteps towards her.

“I’m okay… I’m okay… I just need a minute after that.” Anne mumbled, closing her eyes.

There were sighs of relief and then one by one, Anne felt bodies join her. Catalina holding her close but loosely. The group had quickly formed a pile, exhaustion taking over.

“Don’t ever do that again…” Catalina whispered. “That was so stupid… yet so, so brave.”

“I don’t plan on it… I swear…” Anne replied, already drifting off.

They laid that way for hours, until the ladies found them, simply resting and sleeping. That was all they needed right now.

It was finally over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys... it’s here.
> 
> The grand finale! Well... almost! I’m going to be making an epilogue, but for the most part it’s finished!
> 
> I haven’t made a good Christmas special, so why don’t we consider this my holiday present to all of you! After all, Christmas is just in a day or two depending on time zones! Happy holidays to everyone, no matter what you celebrate and even if you don’t!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s all going to be okay now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWs: minor mentioned abuse, doubt

“This way, young one.”

A larger hand guided a small tiefling down the path. The purple skinned tiefling with horns and a tucked tail let himself be guided, pressing further into the warmth.

They were a young tiefling, perhaps in their preteens, but even then they were small for their age. They looked warily at the people they passed. But only one or two gave them glares, the rest either ignored or gave smiles and passing nods. The more this happened, the more their tail untucked and the more their ears perked back up.

The tiefling, Laughter, looked back up to who was guiding them. “Joy, where are we going?”

“To a safe place, young one.” The half-orc told them. Scars traveled up her arms and over her jaw. A claymor rested on her back and a fur cape traveled over her silver armor. She was large and intimidating, but everyone who knows her knows that she is a gentle giant.

“Oh… okay…” Laughter replied slowly.

“Don’t worry, Laughter! You’ll love it! It will help you get back on your feet and can even be a home for you for many years if it needs to be!” Another, older, tiefling spoke, by the name of Hope. She had red skin and curved horns. She didn’t hold a weapon but her hands were calloused and wrapped in bandages.

“It was a home for us. Now it will be yours as well.” A shadow elf, Ace, spoke. A bow and quiver of arrows was over his shoulder and he was dressed as elegantly as an adventurer could.

“Do you think I’ll see Queen Anne?! We’re close to the castle!” Laughter brightened and he looked up at the three adventurers in excitement.

Hope and Joy laughed, even Ace let out a chuckle.

“There’s a chance.” Joy had a knowing smile on her face.

“I still can’t believe you idolize that queen more than me, a true hero!” Ace places a hand over his chest, turning his head away. (All of them knew he looked up to Anne just as much as they did. He just had too much of an ego to admit it.)

“Queen Anne is a true hero too!” Laughter protested with a pout. The trio loved when he would rant like this, he always seemed so much happier. And nothing made him rant more than his idol.

Laughter began to babble. He told of how Anne tricked the demon. How she had been cursed but freed. He told of her adventures.

Hope was smiling happily. Ace had an eyebrow raised but an amused smile on his lips. Joy was chuckling happily, asking questions for Laughter to answer.

“Ah, we’re here!” Hope paces in front of the group a bit to face a building, turning back to give Laughter a smile as he froze mid-story. “Welcome home, Laughter!”

“Woah…” Was all Laughter could say at the sight.

The building was giant and simply beautiful. A garden out front being tended to by several nymphs. Races Laughter had never seen out of hiding or happy and away from prejudice were walking the grounds happily and free. They didn’t look worried. A few looked anxious, but someone was usually next to them giving them encouraging words.

“What is this place…”

“A sanctuary…” Joy answered, a hand resting on Laughter’s shoulder and a peaceful smile on her face.

They walked up to the building, intent on going inside and getting Laughter new clothes and food. But as they reached the door, they noticed someone leaning against it.

“Well look who it is.” Ace crossed his arms with a smirk upon spotting who was standing by the door. “Speak of the shadow and she appears.”

Anne Boleyn perked upon seeing them and began to make her way over.

Laughter froze with a squeak. “Is… is that—?!”

Joy gave him a chuckle. “You wanted to meet the queen, didn’t you?”

“That’s really her?!” Laughter gaped, looking from Joy, to Anne, and back.

“In the flesh, kid!”

Laughter turned back to see Anne giving him a grin. He opened his mouth to speak but kept stumbling over words. Anne didn’t seem disturbed or bothered by it, that smile remaining on her face.

“My queen! I didn’t know you would be here!” Hope had her own grin.

“You can call me Anne, Hope, you know that!” But Anne laughed easily, it didn’t seem condescending at all. “They told me you three were coming back today, so I wanted to wait!”

“Well it’s wonderful to see you.” Joy replied.

“I couldn’t stay away too long.” Anne looked back at the building with a fond smile. “I’m happy it’s going so well…”

“All thanks to you!” Hope beamed. “We’ve had the occasional protests, but those never lead to anything.”

Anne smiles sadly. “I hope it stays that way…”

After becoming queens, all six began to do what they wanted to do with their rulership to help their people.

Catalina had worked on re-establishing foreign trade. Henry had demolished all of it upon taking rulership. She also worked on the finances, making sure towns and people were given what they needed to get back on their feet and find jobs.

Jane had worked on medical care. She established hospitals to heal those hurt by the war and Henry’s reign. Jane also worked on law, with input from her fellow queens of course. (The four ladies had become their council, helping make major decisions.)

The first thing Anna did was bring Holbein back. The town began to flourish again. It became a sanctuary for races and everyone hurt by Henry’s reign. Then, Anna worked on the military. Finding trusted persons to be leaders and also helping Jane establish laws for the mentioned army.

Kat had made a shelter for abused victims, making sure they were well prepared and even had therapy available. She also made sure to help the other queens with whatever they needed along with any citizens that needed the aid.

Cathy’s been writing a book. Not just any book. It was the one of their quest. Telling everything that had taken place from Henry betraying them to the recent end. It was far from finished, but Cathy was writing at a steady pace, the others helping and keeping her from writing day and night.

And Anne… the building they were standing in front of was Anne’s pride. A shelter for prejudiced races across the kingdoms. This was the first one built and Anne already had plans for more to be built outside the city.

Anne shook her head before looking back to Laughter. “Sorry for ignoring you, kid! Got a little caught up in the conversation. I’m Anne Boleyn!”

“I know who you are!” Laughter blurted before he could stop himself. The tiefling blushed.

“He’s a big fan of yours.” Ace gave her a smirk. “I wouldn’t know why… I’m obviously superior.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ace.” Anne tittered before focusing back on the first line. “Big fan, huh?”

“He always loves telling the stories he’s heard of you… you’re his idol.” Hope outed with a fond grin.

“Hope!” Laughter yelped.

Anne only laughed, placing a hand on Laughter’s shoulder, carefully making sure the young tiefling could see it. “Don’t worry, that means a lot to me…”

Laughter absolutely beamed at that. “Really?! Because you’re amazing, you’ve done so much even with everything that happened to you! I love hearing about your quest with the other queens and I just—!”

“It’s okay, kid, calm down! I’m happy you look up to me like that.” Anne gave him a happy grin.

Laughter still looked awestruck. His idol was talking to him! And she was just as nice as he dreamed of!

(What Laughter didn’t tell her was how the stories of her guided him through rough times. The tales of a shadow elf, a so-called demonic race, becoming a hero spread like wildfire through the kingdom and while Laughter was in an abusive situation, stories of her gave him life.)

Anne looked to a nearby clock and gave a disappointed but also excited hum before turning back to Laughter. “I never got your name.”

“It’s Laughter!” Laughter answered happily.

Anne beamed at him. “It’s nice to meet you, Laughter! And it was nice to see you three again as well! Keep up the good work, yeah?”

“You have to leave?” Hope frowned.

“Yeah, Sorry…” Anne looked to Laughter again. “I always make a point to visit. Maybe we can get to know each other next time?” Anne asked gently, giving Laughter a grin. “You seem like a nice kid.”

“Y… yeah! I would love to!” Laughter still looked amazed, tail swishing happily.

Anne giggled and stood, going to step into the shadows.

“Where would you be going so quickly?” Ace asked, finally uncrossing his arms. But then realization dawned in his gaze. “Ah, the wedding is today?”

“Yep.” Anne gave him a smirk. “My cousin’s about to get married to my best friend. And I’m not missing it for the world.”

~~||~~||~~

Katherine Howard was in a dressing room, pacing the floor.

She was dressed beautifully. A pink dress trailed down to her ankles, highlighted with white to honor the color tradition. Flowers adorned her hair and dress. Her hair was done up in a braid rather than her usual ponytail.

She continued pacing back and forth in front of the mirror, a worried look on her face.

Jane was with her, the motherly elf dressed just as elegantly. “Come sit down, love.” She gently pat the open spot next to her on the couch.

Kat paused in her pacing. She stared for a long moment before coming over to sit down.

Jane wrapped an arm around Kat’s shoulder, holding her close. “Do you remember what you told me before I married Anna? When you were still gaining your confidence and I was unsure if I could marry the love of my life?”

Kat remained silent.

“You told me that she was nothing like Henry. That the reason I was so scared was because of how much I loved her.” Jane continued, not worried by Kat’s silence. “Back then, it resonated with me because of just how confident this anxious young woman seemed in that moment. But also… it hit me because of just how right you were.”

“... it’s true.” Kat hummed, making Jane laugh.

“That’s right. And it’s the same for you. You love her and you don’t want to lose her. I promise you, you and Cathy will forever love each other.” Jane told Kat with a fond smile, tucking a strand of hair behind Kat’s ear.

Kat hummed at the touch, meeting Jane’s eyes. “You’re right… I just…”

Before Kat could finish her thought, they were interrupted.

The door opening and closing caught both of their attention and they looked up to find Anne standing in front of the now closed door.

She had changed into a suit, a dark green one with the same colored tie she was currently adjusting. She wore black pants and a white undershirt. Her hair was up in its usual space buns and a flower was perched behind a pointed ear.

She stared at Kat for a long moment, a soft smile stuck on her lips and the softest of gazes in her eyes.

“Chaton… you look beautiful.”

Kat was quickly standing and reaching Anne’s side in seconds. She took Anne’s hands and smiled rather shyly at her. She opened her mouth to say something, only to stop in her tracks.

Because Anne was crying now. Tears falling down her cheeks and small sobs escaping her lips. Kat quickly moved her hands up to cup Anne’s cheeks.

“Annie! Are you okay?!”

“Gods…” Anne let out a laugh mixed with a sob as Kat wipes away the tears on cheeks. “Sorry for crying on your special day. It's just… I wasn’t quite sure I would be freed for this back when I was… you know.”

Realization hit both Kat and Jane, the latter having reached their side. Kat wrapped her arms around Anne, pulling her into a deep hug, Jane pulled the both of them close to her.

“I’m so happy you’re with us and you would still be a part of this, shadow or not… you’ll still walk me down the aisle, right?” Kat asked, careful to not ruin Anne’s suit.

Anne laughed, crying fading away. “I wouldn’t give that opportunity up for the world.”

“... should I do this, Annie?”

“Hm? Do what? You mean… the wedding?” Anne blinked in surprise.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Jane asked, steering them both back over to the couch. Kat sat between them now.

“Wedding nerves?” Anne asked with a small chuckle.

“I guess so… Jane’s already helped a bit… but still…”

Jane remained quiet, rubbing Kat’s back and letting Anne say her piece now.

“You know… during this quest, I think the one thing that always stayed the same was love.” Anne was nodding to herself. “And gods, trapped with Cathy, watching you two together… I’ve always known for a fact that you two belong together.”

Kat watched for a long moment. “I… I do love her… that’s why I don’t understand why I’m this scared.”

“You’re doing this in front of a crowd for one thing.” Anne gave her a laugh. “And you love Cathy, that’s reason enough to be worried… and well… your past…”

Kat nodded slowly. Those reasons made sense.

“I promise it’ll be okay, Chaton.” Anne soothed. “You love Cathy and Cathy loves you.”

“And we’ll be with you every step of the way.” Jane agreed as Kat sat back up straight again.

“Once you get married you’ll get to give Cathy many more one on one performances.” Anne said suggestively. She couldn’t resist teasing.

Kat slapped her shoulder, flushing. “Annie! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Anne snorted. “Oh no, I definitely know that you two use sound proof spells.”

Kat squawked and Jane sighed, shaking her head in both fondness and exasperation.

“And really? Don’t know?” Anne was teasing her now with a grin. “You guys forgot the spell one night and I definitely recall some hickeys!”

“ANNE!”

Anne burst out into laughter as Kat blushed. The trio quickly entered into small bickering from there.

Eventually, the group’s chatter died down after a moment and Jane looked to the clock before giving Kat’s hand a squeeze. “It’s almost time. Are you ready?”

Kat beamed. “As I’ll ever be.”

“Then I’ll see you out there.” Jane gave her one last hug before heading out the door to stand where she needed to with Anna.

Anne gave Kat a kiss on her forehead. “You’re strong. You’re amazing. And you can do this. You love her. And I am so, so proud of you Chaton.”

“You are?”

“I always have been and I always will be.”

~~||~~||~~

In another room, a very similar set of events was taking place.

“Madrina, I don’t know if I can do this…”

Cathy looked just as beautiful as Kat. She was in more of a dress and suit. A blue skirt stretched to her ankles but was opened wide in the front to show black pants. The blue trailed up to form sleeves and a black belt was around her waist along with a white undershirt. She had her hair done normally only with pink flowers laced through it.

The wizard looked anxious, hands on the dresser and her head bowed over it as she took deep breathes.

“You and Gatita love each other, Mija… I know you can.”

Catalina was dressed in a golden dress with black highlights and a black belt. The back of her dress was closed, hiding most of her scars with only a bit peeking from the exposed sliver between her hair and the dress.

She was next to Cathy, rubbing the woman’s shoulders.

“But what if something goes wrong? What if one of us dies… what if… what if I leave her again?” Cathy asked worriedly.

“You’re overthinking again, Bücherwurm…” Anna soothed, placing a hand on Cathy’s shoulder.

The barbarian was with them too, in a suit like Anne’s only with red instead of green and her silver gloves still there.

Cathy swallowed, taking a shuddering breath. “Is it overthinking when I almost died?”

Catalina and Anna both paused, not quite knowing what to say to that. They shared a glance over Cathy’s head.

“I almost… I almost left her when I promised I would always be there.” Cathy’s fists were clenched white. “What if next time… it’s more than almost.”

“Mija…”

Cathy turned to face them now, tears falling down her cheeks. “When he was taking my magic core... I thought I was dying. I apologized to all of you. But Kat… I just hoped all of you could keep her safe for me.”

There was a moment of silence and then…

“That’s exactly why you should marry her.”

Cathy stared at Catalina in surprise. “What?”

“Caring that much about her… worrying that you’ll leave her… to the point of being reluctant to promise yourself to her? That’s the reason you should marry her.” Catalina explained, looking Cathy in the eye with a knowing smile. “You love her enough to stress this much.”

Anna jumped in. “And don’t think about leaving her like that. You need to treasure your moments together. I know that even in death the two of you will always treasure each other and those moments… besides… we aren’t losing either of you two that easily until we’re all old and wrinkly.” Anna teased gently.

Cathy bit her lip. “Promise? I can’t… I can’t do that again…”

Catalina cupped Cathy’s cheeks. “I swear to you, Mija. None of us will let it happen. Your wife least of all.”

Cathy had a small smile at that.

“We’ll always have your back, Bücherwurm.” Anna gave her a grin.

“Thank you… both of you.” Cathy breathed out, looking lighter than she had before.

“Of course! Are you ready?” Anna asked gently.

Cathy took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and nodded. “I’m ready to marry the love of my life.”

“I’ll go tell them that you’ll be there in just a minute. You’ve got this Cathy.” Anna said, giving Cathy a confident nod and smile before heading out the door.

For a moment after Anna left, Cathy and Catalina stood there, holding each other close and looking at Cathy in the mirror.

“Can I really do this, Madrina?”

Catalina hummed. “I believe you can. You and Gatita belong to each other, Mija. You are brave… you can do this. And I know for a fact you will never regret it.”

Cathy let out a small laugh. “Do you think I’ll have to do this for you when you get married to Anne?”

Catalina flushed but managed to keep her composure. “Who knows, Mija. We’ll just have to see.”

That only made Cathy laugh louder. Catalina soon joined her. Eventually, their laughter died down and Catalina gave a glance to the clock.

It was time.

“Your mother would have loved to be here.” Catalina whispered, pulling back. “And I’m sure wherever she is, she’s proud of you.”

“Do you think so?”

“I know so, Mija.”

“... what about you, Madrina?”

“Mija, you know I will always be proud of you. Now come along, you’re supposed to be waiting for a beautiful elf right now!”

~~||~~||~~

Everyone in the pews quieted.

Anna and Jane stood up at the front and off to the side, going to be by their friends’ sides. Bessie was actually going to be officiating the wedding and the other three ladies in waiting were sitting in the front row. The children were next to them, two beaming and one smiling softly.

The music began playing and Catalina and Cathy walked in first. They made their way down the aisle. Once at the stand, Catalina gave Cathy one more hug before stepping to Anna and Jane.

Cathy inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. And when she opened them, Kat stood at the end of the hall.

Their eyes locked and neither could look away. Neither of them hardly noticed the tears already gathering in their eyes.

This was really happening?

Anne and Kat soon reached Cathy and Anne gave Kat a kiss on the cheek and Cathy a wink before joining the others.

“Hi…” Cathy whispered.

“Hey…” Kat greeted in turn. Both had dopey smiles on their faces.

All they could really focus on was each other, replying to the prompts and faintly listening to Bessie as they simply took each other in.

Throughout all of it, neither could regret their decision to walk out and stand here. The others had been right.

Soon came the vows.

“Kat… you’re the love of my life.” Cathy took a deep breath. “When I look at you I see a beautiful woman. One who has been through hell and back at the hands of evil. And you’ve come out so much stronger… I remember when we first got together. You calmed me down when I was overthinking and told me it was all going to be okay. And it is. We freed Anne, we stopped Henry. We won. We’re still together. And I promise to never leave. I won’t ever hurt you like those cowards did. And my almost death will not repeat… I love you, Kat.” By the end of it, Cathy was crying.

Kat blinked tearfully for a few moments before managing to speak, the tears finally sliding down her cheeks.

“Cathy, I truly think you’re my soulmate…” Kat gently reached forward and took Cathy’s hand in her own. “Cathy… before I met you and the other queens… I had given up. I had been used as a toy and abused all my life… until I met all of you. You… you specifically, helped me get my life back. With you I learned what real love is… and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You’re sweet, and kind, and so, so wise. You’re simply beautiful, that’s the best way I can describe it. I promise to always be by your side. To help you as you’ve helped me. And I promise to protect you as I know you’ll protect me…”

Neither could stop themselves from leaning forward until their foreheads pressed together.

Off to the side, Anne wiped at her eyes and glanced to the other three. They were all crying too… Anne couldn't blame them for that. She simply took Catalina’s hand and rested her head on the paladin’s shoulder, continuing to watch.

“Katherine Howard, do you take Catherine Parr to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Kat grinned. “I do.”

“And do you—?”

“I do.” Cathy rushed out.

Bessie only laughed. “I’m sure Kat appreciates the rush, but you need to let me finish, Cathy.”

Cathy blushed and there was a moment of laughter before Bessie repeated the phrase.

Cathy smiled back at Kat. “I do.”

Bessie beamed at both of them, closing the book. “Then I now pronounce you two wife and wife! You may kiss the bride.”

The now married couple kissed eagerly and the people erupted into cheers. The other queens were the loudest.

Anne couldn’t stop grinning as she clapped and cheered. She looked up and met Catalina’s eyes. Human and shadow elf smiled happily at each other and connected in a kiss of their own.

That day was one of the happiest ones Anne could remember, even if it wasn’t her special day. Because that day told her it would all be okay now. It was finally over.

They were all going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... there it is. The end of A Shadow on the Wall.
> 
> I do have oneshots hidden away but this was the main story... and it will be missed. But I’m also kind of ready to move on. Memento Mori’s waiting for me to come back and I have that new AU I teased on tumblr to be planning for.
> 
> Thank you everyone for the fun ride! I hope to see you in the oneshots and also maybe even my other stories!


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